Name: Dr. Jena Chojnowski
Title: Assistant Professor of Biology
Education: Ph.D. University of Florida, 2010
Office: Dalton Hall 118
Phone:
E-mail: chojnowskij@winthrop.edu
Area(s):
Dr. Chojnowski’s mission is to mentor, teach, and advise scientists through research experience and experiential coursework in the biomedical sciences program at Winthrop University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Zoology at the University of Florida (2002) and her PhD in Zoology at the University of Florida (2010). Her postdoctoral research studies were at the University of Georgia (2011-2015) working on development of the thymus and eye.
In January 2023, she joined the Winthrop University Biology department team. Her research consists of two main areas of interest: developmental biology and stem cell biology. She focuses on a developmental comparative anatomy approach to understand how one organ that accomplishes one goal, to detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons, can be utilized in so many diverse ways. Additionally, her lab focuses on the relationship between PAX6 and stem cell maintenance. Lastly, her lab and teaching overlap so she has a lot of students working on projects related to improving the research-based portion of teaching courses.