Jacob C. Nordman, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Molecular & Integrative Physiology at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, with a cross-appointment in Pharmacology. He completed his doctoral training in neuroscience at George Mason University and conducted postdoctoral research at the NIH, where his work focused on experience-dependent plasticity in neural circuits controlling social behavior.
Dr. Nordman’s work is driven by an interest in how real-world experiences—particularly stress and social exposure—become embedded in brain circuits to shape long-lasting behavior. His research emphasizes mechanistic clarity, careful behavioral analysis, and translational relevance, with the goal of understanding why maladaptive social behaviors persist and how they might be reversed.
As a mentor, Dr. Nordman values intellectual honesty, independence, and collaborative problem-solving. He aims to create a lab environment that is rigorous but supportive, where trainees are encouraged to ask hard questions, take ownership of their work, and develop the skills needed for diverse scientific careers.
Outside of science, he is a husband and father who enjoys cooking, rock climbing, and long-form podcasts, and he places a high value on balance, clear communication, and building a lab culture that takes both science and people seriously.
2026
The anterior BNST is required for novelty-driven social interaction
Jessica T. Jacobs, Mikaela L. Aholt, Taylor Lineberry, Magdalene P. Adjei, Elana Qasem, Sophia Aaflaq, Sandria W. Athul, Buffy S. Ellsworth, Jacob C. Nordman
The Journal of Neuroscience, 2026, pp. e1743252026
2025
Familiarity gates socially transmitted aggression via the medial amygdala
Magdalene P. Adjei, Elana Qasem, Sophia Aaflaq, Jessica T. Jacobs, Savannah Skinner, Fletcher Summa, Claudia Spotanski, Rylee Thompson, Mikaela L. Aholt, Taylor Lineberry, Jacob C. Nordman
Journal of Neuroscience, 2025
2024
Nooshin Mojahed, Magdalene Pine Adjei, Elana Qasem, Sophia Aaflaq, Jessica T. Jacobs, Temitope Adu, Ben Richardson, Jacob C. Nordman,
Frontiers in Neuroscience, vol. 18, 2024
2023
Visualizing traumatic stress-induced structural plasticity in a medial amygdala pathway using mGRASP
Caitlyn J. Bartsch, Jessica T. Jacobs, Nooshin Mojahed, Elana Qasem, Molly Smith, Oliver Caldwell, Sophia Aaflaq, Jacob C. Nordman
Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, vol. 16, 2023
C. J. Bartsch, S. Aaflaq, J. T. Jacobs, M. Smith, F. Summa, S. Skinner, E. Qasem, R. Thompson, Z. Li, J. C. Nordman
Behavioral Neuroscience, 2023
The Impact of Chronic Stress on Neuroplasticity and Abnormal Behavior
J. C. Nordman, C. Summers, K. Ball
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 17, 2023
M. Potegal, J. Nordman
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2023
2022
Promises and Pitfalls of NMDA receptor antagonists in treating violent aggression.
C. J. Bartsch, J. C. Nordman
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 16, 2022
Opposing effects of NMDA receptor antagonists on early life stress-induced aggression in mice
J. C. Nordman, C. J. Bartsch, Z. Li
Aggressive behavior, vol. 48(3), 2022, pp. 365-373
2021
J. C. Nordman
The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 2021
2020
J. C. Nordman, Z Li
eNeuro, vol. 7(5), 2020
Potentiation of Divergent Medial Amygdala Pathways Drives Experience-Dependent Aggression Escalation
J. C. Nordman, X. Ma, Q. Gu, M. Potegal, H. Li, A.V. Kravitz, Z. Li
Journal of neuroscience, vol. 40(25), 2020, pp. 4858-4880
J. C. Nordman, X. Ma, Z. Li
eNeuro, vol. 7(4), 2020
2015
Effects of Menthol on Nicotine Pharmacokinetic, Pharmacology and Dependence in Mice.
S. D. Alsharari, J.R. King, J.C. Nordman, P.P. Muldoon, A. Jackson, A.Z. Zhu, R.F. Tyndale, N. Kabbani, M.I. Damaj
PLoS One, vol. 10(9), 2015
J. R. King, J. C. Nordman, S. P. Bridges, M. K. Lin, N. Kabbani
Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 290(33), 2015, pp. 20060-70
2014
The schizophrenia susceptibility gene dysbindin regulates dendritic spine dynamics.
J. M. Jia, Z. Hu, J. Nordman, Z. Li
Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 34(41), 2014, pp. 13725-36
J. C. Nordman, N. Kabbani
FASEB Journal, vol. 28(7), 2014, pp. 2995-3006
J. C. Nordman, P. Muldoon, S. Clark, M. I. Damaj, N. Kabbani
Molecular Pharmacology, vol. 85(1), 2014, pp. 50-61
J.C. Nordman, W.S. Phillips, N. Kodama, S.G. Clark, C.A. Del Negro
Journal of Neurochemistry, vol. 129(4), 2014, pp. 649-62
2013
Menthol binding and inhibition of alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
A. Ashoor, J.C. Nordman, D. Veltri, K.H. Yang, L. Al Kury, Y. Shuba, M. Mahgoub, F.C. Howarth, B. Sadek, A. Shehu, M. Oz
PLoS One, vol. 8(7), 2013
Menthol inhibits 5-HT3 receptor-mediated currents.
A. Ashoor, J.C. Nordman, D. Veltri, K.H. Yang, Y. Shuba, L. Al Kury, B. Sadek, F.C. Howarth, A. Shehu, N. Kabbani, M. Oz
The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, vol. 347(2), 2013, pp. 398-409
Chemical crosslinkers enhance detection of receptor interactomes.
B. A. Corgiat, J. C. Nordman, N. Kabbani
Frontiers in Pharmacology, vol. 4(171), 2013, pp. 1-6
N. Kabbani, J. C. Nordman
Methods of Molecular Biology, N. Kabbani, 2013
Are nicotinic acetylcholine receptors coupled to G proteins?
N. Kabbani, J.C. Nordman, B.A. Corgiat, D.P. Veltri, A. Shehu, V.A. Seymour, D.J. Adams
Bioessays, vol. 35(12), 2013, pp. 1025-34
2012
N. Kabbani, M. P. Woll, J. C. Nordman, R. Levenson
Current Drug Targets, vol. 13(1), 2012, pp. 72-9
J. C. Nordman, N. Kabbani
Journal of Cell Science, vol. 125(22), 2012, pp. 5502-5513