Laundette P. Jones, PhD, MPH

• Morgan State University, BS, Chemistry, 1992
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, PhD, Environmental Health Sciences, 2000
• National Cancer Institute, NIH, Postdoctoral study, Laboratory of Experimental Carcinogenesis, 2001
• Georgetown University, Lombardi Cancer Center, Postdoctoral Study, Tumor Biology 2005
• University of Maryland, Baltimore, MPH, Community and Population Health, 2018

Dr. Laundette Jones is a transdisciplinary biosocial researcher whose work sits at the intersection of education/training and community-engaged research, with a focus on preparing learners and institutions for equitable, mutually beneficial partnership with communities to advance cancer equity. She develops and studies Community-Engaged Interprofessional Education (CEIPE) as a research-readiness pathway that builds relational and participatory capacity before research begins, strengthening the relevance, rigor, and sustainability of community-engaged cancer research.

Trained in the molecular mechanisms of cancer as well as population and community health, Dr. Jones brings a rare ability to connect discoveries at the cellular level with lived community contexts. For more than 15 years, she led a research laboratory investigating genetic and environmental risk factors for breast cancer through cell culture and animal models and received international recognition for her work on BRCA1 mutations, hormone regulation, and cancer susceptibility. This foundational training informs her current scholarship, which bridges mechanistic discovery with community-engaged research infrastructure.

Dr. Jones approaches her work as an embodied researcher, shaped by early experiences of economic hardship, housing instability, and the generosity of community support. These experiences instilled a posture of humility, gratitude, and service that now anchor her participatory approach to research and education, guided by the belief that the care we receive becomes the care we are called to extend. This perspective underlies her commitment to bridge-building across systems—connecting scientists, communities, and future health professionals.

In parallel, Dr. Jones plays a central role in transforming health professions education through community-engaged, interprofessional learning. As Director of Experiential Learning in the MPH Program, she leads the development of applied, community-centered training pathways that integrate public health, medical, and biomedical learners with community partners. Across these initiatives, she aligns Interprofessional Education Collaborative competencies with community priorities to support professional formation, reflective practice, and readiness for collaborative, equity-oriented research and practice.

Across all her roles, Dr. Jones is committed to strengthening the health knowledge ecosystem by developing scalable models that prepare institutions and trainees for meaningful community engagement—contributing to field-level standards for equitable, community-rooted cancer and chronic disease research.

Participatory Health Research, Environmental Health Sciences, Community & Population Health, Mammary gland carcinogenesis, Adipose tissue biology, Cancer Survivorship, Health Equity

1. Jones LP, Buelto D, Tago E, Owusu-Boaitey KE. Abnormal Mammary Adipose Tissue Environment of Brca1 Mutant Mice Show a Persistent Deposition of Highly Vascularized Multilocular Adipocytes. J Cancer Sci Ther. 2011 Dec 8;(Suppl 2). doi: 10.4172/1948-5956.s2-004. PubMed PMID: 24501658; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3851023.
2. Sigl V^#, Owusu-Boaitey K^#, Joshi PA, Kavirayani A, Wirnsberger G, Novatchkova M, Kozieradzki I, Schramek D, Edokobi N, Hersl J, Sampson A, Odai-Afotey A, Lazaro C, Gonzalez-Suarez E, Pujana MA, Cimba F, Heyn H, Vidal E, Cruickshank J, Berman H, Sarao R, Ticevic M, Uribesalgo I, Tortola L, Rao S, Tan Y, Pfeiler G, Lee EY, Bago-Horvath Z, Kenner L, Popper H, Singer C, Khokha R, Jones LP^#, Penninger^#. JM. RANKL/RANK control Brca1 mutation-driven tumors. Cell Res. 2016 Jul;26(7):761-74. doi: 10.1038/cr.2016.69. Epub 2016 May 31. PubMed PMID: 27241552; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5129883. ^#Contributed equally.
3. Sharmeen, A, Perry, C, Archie, C, Archie Jr, U, Edwards, L, & Jones, LP (2023). Perspectives on Benefits and Challenges to Developing a Co-Teaching and Co-Learning Exchange between Community and Academic Partners. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 17(2), 227-232.
4. Vucenik I, Jones LP and McLenithan JC. Metabolic Syndrome: A Comprehensive Textbook – Contribution: Linking Obesity, Metabolism and Cancer. Rexford S. Ahima, Eds. Cham; Springer International Publishing: Imprint: Springer, 2^nd, 2024, 603-620.
5. Burduladze, N, Jones, LP, Jones, BD, Msowoya, U, Salsberg, J, Whitney, A, & Gilfoyle, M (2024). Exploring power and power sharing in participatory health research partnerships: A scoping review protocol. Plos one, 19(7), e0303799.