معرفی
Jacqueline Wittke-Thompson is a Professor of Biology at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois, holding this position since 2010 with active research and teaching in genetics and genomics through collaborative undergraduate research experiences.
Her educational background includes a B.S. in Biology with Honors from Loyola University Chicago involving two years of undergraduate research on human chromosome 21 and Down Syndrome, a Ph.D. in Human Genetics from The University of Chicago studying genetic architecture of complex diseases, a postdoctoral position in psychiatric disorders at The University of Chicago, and a 2024 graduate certificate in Applied Bioinformatics from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Dr. Wittke-Thompson's research focuses on evolutionary genomics of Drosophila, specifically annotating and comparing genes within biological pathways across species. She actively involves undergraduate students in using genome browsers and databases for gene annotation, with recent projects exploring specific gene evolution in Drosophila species and extending into bioinformatics applications.
Her publication record shows dual emphasis on scientific discovery and pedagogy: 2023-2025 articles center on Drosophila gene annotation and CURE educational impacts, while 2014-2019 works addressed bacterial antibiotic resistance and carbon metabolism mechanisms, demonstrating integration of research with innovative teaching practices.
- Faculty Achievement in Scholarship Award at USF (2024-2025)
She has mentored over 20 undergraduate researchers as evidenced by student co-authorship across publications and presentations, operating through collaboration with the Genomics Education Partnership (www.thegep.org) and Dr. Laura Reed at the University of Alabama to provide authentic genomics research experiences.
Her research team utilizes computational and molecular approaches within the Genomics Education Partnership network, democratizing genomic research access for undergraduate students through structured collaborative frameworks.
