Rehana Naik Olson

Study Coordinator, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Department of Psychiatry
Uniformed Services University

 

Rehana Naik Olson is a Study Coordinator at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS), where she supports multiple human-subjects research studies examining psychological processes. In this role, she contributes to all stages of the research process, including study design and protocol development; grant and IRB submissions; data management; and the creation of research products.

Rehana earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science from Carleton College in 2023. Her senior thesis explored neuroplasticity of the visual cortex, focusing on how sensory deprivation, sleep, and dreams shape cortical reorganization across the human lifespan. During her undergraduate studies, Rehana served as the laboratory teaching assistant for Dr. Julie Neiworth's Learning & Memory course and lab, where she mentored students in experimental methodology, trained pigeon subjects, and maintained daily lab operations. Rehana also completed a year-long research internship with 1Cademy, where she helped design study materials, conduct research sessions, and analyze behavioral data.

Since joining CSTS in 2023 as a Research Assistant and advancing to her current role in 2025, Rehana has deepened her interest in the neural mechanisms underlying cognition. She plans to pursue graduate study in psychology and cognitive neuroscience to further explore the intersection of brain function and human experience.