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Jennifer (Jen) Chotiner, PhD

Biography

Associate Professor

Biomedical Science

Jennifer (Jen) Chotiner, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Science at Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. As a small-group facilitator, unit director, and course director in the Integrated Sciences curriculum, she advances educational innovation, curriculum development, and program improvement across all three phases of the medical education program. Dr. Chotiner earned her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience from UCLA and completed postdoctoral training at UC Irvine’s Reeve-Irvine Spinal Cord Injury Research Center. Before joining KPSOM, she held faculty and leadership roles at Chapman University and Mount Saint Mary’s University, where she chaired the Department of Biology for 12 years, served as principal investigator on federal grants, and led initiatives in curriculum design, assessment, student success, and program development. Her academic interests include neurophysiology, medical physiology, curriculum innovation, mentoring, and emerging technologies in medical education.

Profile headshot of Jennifer (Jen) Chotiner, PhD

Education and Training

Degrees
BS, cum laude, University of California, San Diego
PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
Fellowship
Postdoctoral Fellow, Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California, Irvine

Professional Positions

Assistant Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
Chapman University
2004–2005
Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
Mount Saint Mary's University
2005–2008
Associate Professor, Biological Sciences (Tenured)
Mount Saint Mary's University
2008–2017
Chair, Department of Biology
Mount Saint Mary's University
2011–2023
Chair, University Curriculum Committee
Mount Saint Mary's University
2014–2019
Professor, Biological Sciences (Tenured)
Mount Saint Mary's University
2017–2025
Associate Professor, Biomedical Science
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
2025–present

Honors and Awards

Professor of the Year, Women in Community Medicine / Developing Our Careers
Mount Saint Mary's University
2006
Professor of the Year, Women in Science and Health (WISH)
Mount Saint Mary's University
2007
Department of Education Title V STEM Grant, Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Principal Investigator
2008-2010
Professor of the Year, Women's Leadership
Mount Saint Mary's University
2010
National Science Foundation IUSE/HSI Program Award
Principal Investigator
2018–2024
KPSOM Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Award
Co-leader
2025–2026

Community Engagement

Director, Project Brainstorm and Coordinator, Brain Awareness Week
UCLA
1997–2001
Presenter, Expanding Your Horizons: Math and Science Conference for Girls
American Association of University Women
2001–2023
Judge, Los Angeles County Science Fair
Ribet Academy
2009–2010
Special Events Volunteer, The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach
2018–2020
Canine Visitor Volunteer
The Kensington Assisted Living & Memory Care
2018–2020
Volunteer
KPSOM at Blair High School Health Pop-Up Friday
2025
Contributor
KPSOM Healthy Living Color and Activities Book
2025
Member
KPSOM LGBTQ+ Staff and Faculty Community Group
2025–present

Scholarly Activities

Selected Publications
  • Chotiner JK, Nairn AC, O'Dell TJ, Watson JB. Adenylyl cyclase-dependent form of chemical long-term potentiation triggers translational regulation at the elongation step. Neuroscience. 2003;116(3):743-752. doi:10.1016/s0306-4522(02)00797-2.
  • Huang F, Chotiner JK, Steward O. The mRNA for elongation factor 1alpha is localized in dendrites and translated in response to treatments that induce long-term depression. Journal of Neuroscience. 2005;25(31):7199-7209. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1779-05.2005.
  • Chotiner JK, Huang F, Steward O. Actin polymerization and ERK phosphorylation are required for Arc/Arg3.1 mRNA targeting to activated synaptic sites on dendrites. Journal of Neuroscience. 2007 Aug 22;27(34):9054-67. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2410-07.2007. PMID: 17715342; PMCID: PMC6672203.
  • Chotiner JK, Nielson J, Farris S, Lewandowski G, Huang F, Banos K, deLeon R, Steward O. Assessment of the role of MAP kinase in mediating activity-dependent transcriptional activation of the immediate early gene Arc/Arg3.1 in the dentate gyrus in vivo. Learning & Memory. 2010 Feb 13;17(2):117-29. doi: 10.1101/lm.1585910. PMID: 20154358; PMCID: PMC2825695.
Selected Presentations and Abstracts
  • Signal transduction mechanisms underlying activity-regulated gene expression. Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM) Conference, 2002
  • Exploring the Mechanisms of Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity. Faculty Development Seminar Series, Chapman University, 2003.
  • ERK pathway signaling mediates induction and localization of ARC mRNA. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, 2004
  • Activation of synaptic plasticity pathways modulates overall levels of HuD protein in the hippocampus. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, 2007
  • The Significance of Women in Science. Title V - MSMU STEM Peer Mentor Retreat, 2009.
  • Cellular Mechanisms of Learning and Memory: How Do We Get Specific? Mount Saint Mary's Academic Symposium, 2014.
  • "Bettering Themselves, Their Environment and the World": An Example of an Equity-Minded General Education Program. AAC&U General Education and Assessment Conference, 2017.
  • Problems into Solutions: Using Design Thinking to Advance Success in Our Students and Communities. Horizon Symposium: Arizona Western College Strategic Planning, 2017.
  • Using Leadership and Design Thinking to Solve Wicked Problems. Leadership in Higher Education Conference, 2017.
  • Use of Generative AI for Comprehensive Curriculum Mapping of Phase 1 Scientific Basis of Health at KPSOM. KPSOM Curriculum Retreat, 2026.