Overview
Dr. Jones' research uses engineering and policy analysis to help solve global challenges related to water and health. He is a 2021 recipient of the NIH R35 Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award to develop new models and tools for studying biofilms and a 2019 Sloan SEED fund award to develop new tools for point of use water quality monitoring systems. He was recognized by a Young Investigator Award from the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State, the premier center for biofilm research in the US. He received a BS in Mathematics and BS, MS, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where he was a Lemelson Presidential Fellow and Alfred P. Sloan UCEM Scholar. He completed post-doctoral training as a Future Faculty Fellow at Northeastern University. He has directly supervised 2 high school students, over 20 undergraduates, 5 MS, 5 PhD, and 2 post-doctoral trainees including 8 from underrepresented backgrounds and 19 women. He and his team have presented at over 60 conferences and seminars. He served as a Pratt Coaching 360 advisor and Duke UCEM Faculty Champion for Civil & Environmental Engineering.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Synthesis of Metal-Modified Nanocellulose as a Biofilm Analogue for Biofilm Mimicry in Biomedical and Environmental Applications.
Journal Article Biopolymers · July 2025 Bacterial biofilms are complex, multi-component structures consisting primarily of four key elements: polysaccharides, metal ions, proteins, and extracellular DNA. In our research, we specifically focus on the polysaccharide and metal ion components, which ... Full text CiteThe Climate Change Burden on Immune Health: Are Persons Living with HIV More at Risk?
Journal Article AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses · October 2024 Climate change poses one of the most significant modern threats to overall human health,especially for vulnerable populations including persons living with HIV (PLWH). In this perspective, we specifically explore the concept of immune resilience in human h ... Full text Link to item CiteIntersectional climate justice, health equity, and HIV.
Journal Article Lancet HIV · May 2024 Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Duke University Program in Environmental Health
Inst. Training Prgm or CMECo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2029NSF Engineering Research Center for Precision Microbiome Engineering (PreMiEr)
ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2022 - 2027University Training Program in Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1994 - 2027View All Grants