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Age Gracefully...Like a Bat

By Office of the President | Nov 18, 2024

Rena OrmanDownstate’s Research Associate Professor of Physiology & Pharmacology, Rena Orman, Ph.D., is diving into groundbreaking research that could revolutionize how we understand aging by studying bats known for their long, healthy lifespans.

While most rodents live only a few years, in comparison, Dr. Orman’s bats live up to 13 years in captivity, with some species reaching over 40 years—a significant advantage for aging research. Bats also share several biological similarities with humans and typically avoid diseases like cancer and other aging-related conditions, offering promising insights for human health.

Dr. Orman’s research focuses on the aging process in bat brains, specifically studying the claustrum, a brain structure key to consciousness and cognition. Her work could reveal critical insights into neurodegeneration and cognitive decline associated with aging. With Jeffrey P. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., FACS, Professor and Chair of Urology, she also explores bats as a model for nocturia, a common ailment among older people.

A recent publication, Bats as Instructive Animal Models to Study Longevity and Aging,” co-authored by Dr. Orman, highlights bats as an invaluable model for aging research. The study originated from a workshop organized with the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and attracted enough attention to make bat aging research a new NIA priority. This research underscores the importance of studying captive bat colonies to understand how bats age and resist disease.

Dr. Orman’s work could also lend itself to health disparities by examining how bats manage inflammation and age-related changes despite environmental stresses, leading to potential treatments for stress-related human diseases.

Thank you, Dr. Orman, for this work, and to Mark Stewart, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Physiology & Pharmacology and Neurology, who also co-authored this pivotal study.