Jennifer A. Armstrong

Jennifer A. Armstrong is Associate Dean of Faculty at Scripps College and Professor of Biology at the Keck Science Department, which is part of the Claremont Colleges consortium in California. She maintains an active research laboratory focused on chromatin and chromosome structure and gene regulation.

Dr. Armstrong received her educational training at prestigious institutions:

• Postdoctoral training at University of California, Santa Cruz
• Ph.D. from University of California, San Diego
• B.S. from New Mexico State University

Dr. Armstrong's research focuses on chromatin and chromosome structure and gene regulation, with particular emphasis on chromatin remodeling factors that utilize ATP to slide, remodel, or assemble nucleosomes. Her laboratory investigates how these proteins function normally and how their loss can lead to misregulation of the genome and diseases including cancer. She teaches a range of courses including Genetics, Cell Biology, Introductory Biology, Molecular Biology Seminar/Laboratory, and Epigenetics, as well as interdisciplinary courses like Scripps Core I: Histories of the Present: Human Nature and Human Difference and Core II: Constructions of (Dis)Ability.

Analysis of Dr. Armstrong's publication record reveals a consistent focus on chromatin remodeling and its role in gene regulation across multiple model organisms, primarily Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) and yeast. Her work spans fundamental mechanisms of how chromatin remodelers like CHD1, ISWI, and BRM complexes function at the molecular level, to their roles in development and disease. A recurring theme is how these proteins affect higher-order chromosome structure, histone dynamics, and transcriptional regulation. Her research shows increasing sophistication in methodology, moving from genetic screens to detailed molecular analyses of chromatin structure.

Dr. Armstrong serves as Associate Dean of Faculty at Scripps College, indicating significant administrative responsibilities in addition to her research and teaching duties. While specific grant information isn't provided in the available text, her sustained publication record suggests successful funding for her research program over many years. She appears to mentor students through thesis research, as indicated by her listing of "Thesis Topics" related to her laboratory's focus.

Dr. Armstrong maintains an active laboratory studying chromatin remodeling factors and their role in genome regulation. Her work bridges molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, using Drosophila and other model systems to understand fundamental mechanisms of chromatin organization and its impact on gene expression.