Communications

Associate Professor, Director of Pre-Medical Program

College of Sciences and Mathematics - Biology

Bio

In addition to serving as an Associate professor at West Chester University, Dr. Teresa Donze-Reiner is the Director of Pre-Medical Advising. Her research interests are diverse but all focus on some aspect of Genetics. One of her main interests is understanding how plants defend themselves against insect pests and pathogens, including viruses. She has worked on many model plant systems such as Arabidopsis, soybeans, switchgrass, and sorghum to identify key genes that are necessary for resistance against biotic stresses, including insects and viruses. Her recent work has focused on understanding the defense response of susceptible and resistant switchgrass genotypes against greenbug aphid infestations. Over the last few years, she has worked with collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, to provide a training program to undergraduate students to help understand how to analyze the Genetics variants associated with Opioid Addiction and possible treatments.

Education

• A.S., McCook Community College
• B.S., University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• M.S., University of Nebraska Kearney
• Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln