New UMBC research reveals how two different parts of the hippocampus—the brain’s memory center—team up in a key reward region to help mice, and likely humans, combine memories of places and contexts with the drive to pursue rewards. 

The findings offer fresh insight into how the brain integrates information about “where” and “what feels good” to guide everyday decisions, such as heading to a favorite restaurant to meet friends or seeking out rewarding experiences. Specifically, this discovery, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, shows that inputs from the dorsal and ventral hippocampus converge on the same individual neurons in another brain region, the nucleus accumbens, where they interact in ways that amplify each other’s effects. 

“The connection between the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens is where the brain’s map of where to go meets a sense of why it’s worth going,” explains senior author Tara LeGates,assistant professor in UMBC’s Department of Biological Sciences. 

For years, scientists viewed the connections from the dorsal hippocampus, which is more closely tied to spatial memory and navigation, and the ventral hippocampus, which is linked more strongly to emotions and motivation, as mostly separate. This paper challenges that understanding. 

“A single neuron can receive inputs from different brain regions, and figuring out how it integrates them is crucial for understanding what drives goal-directed actions,” LeGates says.  

While the current study focuses on individual cells, the implications reach further. Better knowledge of how these reward-related circuits process and combine information could shed light on conditions where motivation is disrupted, such as depression, addiction, or anxiety disorders. 

A close-up on convergence

The research team used advanced methods including using light to stimulate specific pathways (a technique called optogenetics), precise recordings of electrical activity in neurons, and detailed microscope imaging to identify a group of neurons in a specific part of the accumbens that receives direct input from both the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. 

Importantly, the synapses involved in these two pathways sit very close together—often within a couple of microns (thousandths of a millimeter)—on the same branches of the neurons’ dendrites, which look like tree roots on nerve cells. That proximity allows them to influence each other quickly. The team found that when both inputs are active at the same time, they produce a stronger combined response than either one alone.

The researchers collaborated with Tagide deCarvalho, director of UMBC’s Keith Porter Imaging Facility, to obtain the high-resolution imaging that confirmed these close partnerships. Upgraded software at the facility allowed the team to capture ultra-thin digital slices (0.2 microns thick) and create 3D reconstructions of neuron branches, clearly demonstrating the close proximity of the synapses that would allow them to interact.

The study’s first author, Ashley Copenhaver ’20, mathematics and biological sciences, Ph.D. ’25, neuroscience and cognitive sciences, led much of the hands-on work in recordings and imaging while mentoring undergraduate team members.

“One of the most exciting parts of this technically challenging project was performing dual-color optogenetics during electrophysiology—I was literally shining tiny beams of red and blue light onto brain tissue, which was activating the dorsal or ventral hippocampus neurons, so that I could record the electrical responses in the nucleus accumbens neurons. It was magical,” Copenhaver says. “Beyond loving the technique, in my opinion, we identified some really critical and fundamental mechanisms of signal integration within the brain. I’m super excited to see where this work heads next.”

From cells to behavior

Understanding how a single neuron handles signals from different brain areas is key to grasping complex behaviors, says LeGates, who has a secondary appointment in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Signals from the dorsal and ventral hippocampus are “probably converging more than we’ve previously appreciated, which could change how people approach questions about motivation and learning,” she adds.

That kind of convergence likely helps animals form associations between rewarding outcomes and the environments where they occur—an essential capability for survival. Similar convergence has been seen in other brain areas involved in emotional learning, LeGates says, suggesting the brain may use this strategy widely to link a particular context with feeling and action.

LeGates’ lab is already building on this paper’s foundation by exploring how stress and substances like food, medications, and illicit drugs affect these same connections, with the long-term aim of informing more targeted treatments for various mental health conditions. In the immediate future, the team hopes to record activity from these specially connected neurons during real behaviors to directly link the newly discovered crosstalk between the ventral and dorsal hippocampus to actions.

By uncovering this hidden layer of cooperation between hippocampal pathways, the LeGates lab has advanced our understanding of how the brain weaves together memory and motivation—a fundamental process that shapes the decisions driving daily life.

Anupam Joshi, vice provost and chief AI officer for UMBC, has been named a 2025 Fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). AAAS is one of the world’s largest general scientific societies and the publisher of the Science family of journals. 

Joshi is among nearly 500 scientists, engineers, and innovators who have been elected 2025 fellows for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements throughout their careers. 

Joshi is a pioneer in data management and security for mobile and ad-hoc networks using AI approaches. His research interests are at the intersection of AI and systems. Over the last decade, Joshi has explored this intersection to improve cybersecurity—using distributed AI approaches for attack detection and resilience in CPS/IoT systems that undergird critical infrastructure and policy-driven approaches to security and privacy.

In addition to serving as vice provost and chief AI officer, Joshi is the Oros Family Professor and director of the UMBC Cybersecurity Institute. A prolific scholar, Joshi obtained a B.Tech degree from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi in 1989, and a master’s and Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1991 and 1993. 

A tradition dating back to 1874, election as a AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor, and all fellows are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity. Joshi is the ninth fellow to be elected from UMBC throughout its history. Phyllis Robinson was the most recent UMBC fellow elected in 2024. 

“This year’s AAAS Fellows have demonstrated research excellence, made notable contributions to advance science, and delivered important services to their communities,” said Sudip S. Parikh, AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. “These fellows and their accomplishments validate the importance of investing in science and technology for the benefit of all.”

Want to cheer on UMBC’s men’s basketball team as they travel to the NCAA tournament? Find a watch party here!

• Learn more about the team’s journey
• Follow umbcretrievers.com

UMBC v. Howard University

University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OH
March 17, 2026
6:40 p.m.
You can watch the game live on truTV at 6:40 p.m.

Dayton, Ohio Pre-Game Reception

Hosted by the Retriever Club
Hotel Ardent, Bistecca – Italian Steakhouse
137 North Main Street, Downtown, Dayton, Ohio 45402
4 – 6 p.m.
Planning to attend? Email eventsrsvp@umbc.edu to let us know!

Baltimore-Area Watch Parties 

Sorrento of Arbutus
5401 East Dr, Halethorpe, MD 21227

State Fare
748 Frederick Rd, Catonsville, MD 21228

Jimmy’s Famous Seafood
6526 Holabird Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224

Claddagh Pub
2918 O’Donnell St, Baltimore, MD 21224

Cinderella better find her slippers because UMBC is going dancing again! With a 74-59 win over no. 2 University of Vermont on Saturday, UMBC men’s basketball will return to NCAA Tournament play for the first time since 2018. They also clinched another America East title before a packed home court at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. Selection Sunday results are in and our Retrievers will be taking on Howard University for a play-in game on Tuesday in Dayton. This will be the third NCAA tournament appearance for UMBC. 

Cheer on the team at a watch party

A showdown between the Retrievers and the Catamounts is one supporters have come to eagerly anticipate each season. Vermont won nine of the last 12 overall matchups prior to Saturday’s win and this was the teams’ fifth battle for the America East Championship. And despite Vermont’s no. 1 ranking and UMBC’s no. 7 in the America East preseason poll, the Retrievers proved once again never to count out an underdog. 

Even before Saturday’s victory, UMBC already inked its place in athletics history by producing  the men’s basketball’s best conference regular season in program history. The win against UVM marks the 12th straight win for the Retrievers and sets a new all-time program record. 

“This achievement is a credit to these guys, who are a selfless group who just really cares about playing basketball,” said head men’s basketball coach Jim Ferry. “To be rewarded with that and leave a mark at UMBC is special, and I think they are all very proud of that.” 

Shooting their shot

Fans (and strangers) may recall UMBC’s historic upset in 2018 when they became the first men’s no. 16 seed to overthrow a no. 1 seed in NCAA history. Besting UVM in the America East final this year was especially reminiscent of that legendary season when UMBC also prevailed against Vermont. Since getting their first taste of March Madness success, the Retrievers have been fighting doggedly to return to the national stage. This season, the hard work paid off. 

Three Retrievers made the America East All-Conference Team. Junior guard Jah’Likai King was named First Team, while graduate student guard DJ Armstrong Jr., and junior guard Ace Valentine earned Second Team honors. This marks the first time since 2021 – 22 that the Retrievers have had three players recognized on one of the three All-Conference teams.

Leading his players by example, Ferry was also named America East’s Coach of the Year. He racked up his 400th career win at Maine earlier in the season and is the first coach in UMBC’s program history to do so. 

In good company

Far from the only team to impress the crowds, women’s basketball stunned with buzzer beaters and dramatic come-from-behind victories this season. Setting the stage in the quarterfinals against NJIT, junior Jade Tillman dropped a bucket with one second left on the clock to advance the Retrievers to the semifinals with a score of 66-65. The Retrievers have been selected to play in the 2026 Women’s National Invitational Tournament.

In the America East Semifinals, UMBC women’s basketball took on top-seeded Vermont on the road on Monday, March 9. Despite an exhausting double overtime thriller, UMBC ultimately conceded to the Catamounts with a score of 68-65 to close out the season. 

In February, the Retrievers cracked open the record books to add two more milestones to the history of UMBC Athletics. For the first time, the women’s track and field team captured the America East Indoor Championship title. In addition, the men’s swimming and diving team reclaimed their America East title for the first time since 2023. This marks their 15th win in 20 seasons. Junior Ashley Gutshall, history, competed in the NCAA swimming and diving championships, the first Retriever to qualify for NCAA’s since 2017.

Check umbcretrievers.com for all updates and be ready to cheer on #RetrieverNation! 

Mechanical engineering senior Caly Ferguson will be honored with a “25 Under 25” award at the upcoming meeting of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), held March 18 – 22 in Baltimore. The award recognizes exceptional students and young professionals under the age of 25 who are making a measurable impact in science and technology fields through leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, and community advancement. 

Ferguson is a Meyerhoff Scholar and current president of the UMBC chapter of NSBE. Last year he was one of three UMBC students recognized with the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, established to promote a strong STEM workforce in the U.S.

Since his first year at UMBC, Ferguson has worked in the lab of Ramana Vinjamuri, an associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering, on a project to develop a prosthetic forearm and hand. The device employs machine learning to interpret electrical signals from the nerves in the arm and translate them into desired movements of the prosthetic hand. Ferguson is interested in a career developing biomedical devices—in particular making them more affordable so that more people can benefit from them. 

“I am truly blessed to be considered as one of the awardees for this esteemed honor,” Ferguson says. “I feel as though God, my family, my friends, and all of my mentors and colleagues have played such integral roles in my successes over the past years.”

Ferguson says being a part of the NSBE community has positively shaped his career trajectory and he plans to stay involved with the society after graduation. He is running for a regional executive board position with the organization at this year’s annual meeting.

“One of the things I am most proud of is seeing the consistent growth of the organization on campus throughout my undergraduate career,” he says. “I know that this student org will continue to rise and achieve amazing feats after I graduate from UMBC.”