The College of Nursing welcomes Dr. Lovell Jones as the Associate Dean for Research. Dr. Jones has more than 35 years of experience in addressing minority health and the health of the underserved. He is the former Director of the joint UT MD Anderson Cancer Center/University of Houston Dorothy I. Height Center for Health Equity & Evaluation Research. As a scientist, he has done extensive research into the relationship between hormones, diet and endocrine responsive tumors and has presented his work both nationally and internationally. Dr. Jones’ most notable innovation and service has been in leading think tanks and major events regarding the underserved and cancers, including the American Cancer Society South Central U.S. Regional Hearings on Cancer and the Poor, and the 1st National African Cancer Education meeting in Abuja, Nigeria.
In January 2000, Dr. Jones was named the first director of the congressionally mandated Center for Research on Minority Health (CRMH), a multidisciplinary center which aims to foster research that addresses the causes of health disparities and translates scientific results back to the communities affected by those disparities; facilitates minority students to pursue careers in the biomedical sciences; and, increase recruitment and retention of minority and medically underserved populations into clinical trials. Dr. Jones served co-author of the congressional resolution designating the third full week in April as “National Minority Cancer Awareness Week.” For his work, the NIH/National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities awarded him its Director’s Award for Excellence in Health Disparities. Dr. Jones has also received the Ruth Kirschstein Diversity in Science Award and was selected as one of the top African American Scientist in America by the National Science Foundation “The HistoryMakers” (http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/dr-lovell-jones).
Dr. Jones has been awarded approximately $40 million in research and/or educational grants, either as principal or co-principal investigator. His research has involved determining the mechanism by which natural and environmental estrogenic agents may initiate cancers in hormonally responsive tissue. A grant awarded by NIH/NCI supported the investigation of “The Women’s Health Eating and Living Study,” which examined the role of diet on the prevention and recurrence of second primaries in breast cancer survivors. A notable demonstration grant, titled “Facilitated Assistance, Research, & Outreach Services” was awarded by the Centers of Excellence for Community Partnership, Outreach, Research & Training from the National Center on Minority Health & Health Disparities and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Cancer Prevention and Treatment.
Dr. Jones’ experience in research will facilitate the College of Nursing in establishing a Research Center. The Center will focus on the use of innovative inter-professional and trans-interdisciplinary approaches to promote health equity exploratory research and simulation technology research to lessen health disparities and effect health policy. The Center will seek to establish partnerships and agreements for a Collaborative Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities with numerous entities and stakeholders in the Gulf Region, State, and Nation.