Rena Orman

Rena Orman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Her research investigates neurophysiological and neuroanatomical mechanisms underlying regional and long-range neuronal circuits, with emphasis on the claustrum, amygdala, endopiriform nucleus, and limbic cortex (hippocampal formation, retrosplenial cortex). She utilizes animal models like Seba’s short-tailed fruit bat (Carollia perspicillata) and rats, employing techniques such as multi-electrode array recordings, immunohistochemistry, and anatomical reconstructions.

Key research themes include:

• Hemispheric asymmetry in amygdala signaling during fear conditioning
• Directional connectivity in the claustrum
• Asymmetrical axonal arbors in hippocampal CA1 neurons
• High-frequency oscillations in disinhibited neural networks

Her recent publications (2019–2022) predominantly explore claustrum neuroanatomy in bats, hippocampal oscillations in rats, and translational models for brain aging. These works highlight cross-species homology, inhibitory neuron distribution, and electrophysiological spread patterns.

Dr. Orman mentors graduate students including:

• Timothy Morello (M.D./Ph.D. candidate, co-mentored with Richard Kollmar and Mark Stewart)
• Frederick Okoye III (D.O. candidate/Lang Urology Research Fellow, co-mentored with Jeffrey Weiss, Richard Kollmar, and Mark Stewart)