Honorable Mention: Where Memories Begin

This image shows part of the brain where memories begin their journey, the hippocampus, a region essential for learning and memory. The red glow highlights a special group of neurons known as granule cells, located in an area called the dentate gyrus. What makes this image unique is the long red “tail” stretching from these cells into other hippocampus regions called CA2 and CA3. This vibrant projection reflects how the brain encodes, organizes and communicates new memories. The green signal, labeled brain cells with NeuN, marks other neurons including pyramidal cells in CA2/3, which are involved in processing and retrieving social memories. Within these neural circuits, the brain begins to transform experience into memory and forms the foundation for how we recall events, recognize others and navigate the social world around us.