Lataisia Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lataisia Jones
Lataisia Jones, June 5, 2020
Born	Suffolk, Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater	Virginia State University Florida State University (PhD)
Known for	First African American to graduate with a PhD from the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the College of Medicine at FSU
Awards	2019 AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador
Scientific career
Fields	Neuroscience
Institutions	NIH (NINDS)

Lataisia Jones is an American neuroscientist who works in Washington, D.C. at the National Institutes of Health. She was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Florida State University (FSU). Dr. Jones studies brain disorders using molecular and systems biology. She also helps and inspires young people from groups that are not often seen in science. Her goal is to encourage them to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Early Life and Education

Lataisia Jones grew up in Suffolk, Virginia. She went to Nansemond River High School and later graduated from King's Fork High School in 2006. After high school, she attended Virginia State University (VSU). This is an HBCU, which means it's a historically Black college or university.

While at VSU, she did her first research project. This was during an internship at the College of William & Mary. She studied how a tiny worm's cells grow and divide. After that, she earned her master's degree at VSU. Her research looked at how genes might be linked to a type of diabetes in mice. During this time, she also taught biology classes to college students.

Towards the end of her master's program, Dr. Jones traveled to Ghana. Her mother's family is from there. She taught English, math, and science to young students. The excitement of these kids inspired her to get her Ph.D. She wanted to keep teaching and create chances for students to study in other countries.

Earning Her Ph.D.

Dr. Jones then went to Florida State University for her doctoral degree. She studied in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. She made history by becoming the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from that department at FSU. She was also the first person in her family to get a Ph.D.

For her doctoral research, Dr. Jones studied a brain disorder called DOPA Responsive Dystonia (DRD). This disorder causes muscles to move on their own. Her work helped to understand how a tiny change in a gene, called GCH1, can lead to this condition. She found that this small change stops the GCH1 gene from working properly. This affects how the brain makes dopamine, a chemical important for movement. Her research helped create a special tool to find the problem protein in human cells. This could help doctors diagnose the disorder better.

Career and Research

After getting her Ph.D., Dr. Jones worked at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. She studied how children's brains develop. Specifically, she looked at the corpus callosum. This is a part of the brain that helps the left and right sides communicate.

She used a special glowing protein, called Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), in her research. By injecting it into brain cells, she could see how they connected. Her experiments helped her understand how the two sides of the brain talk to each other. This research aims to find new ways to treat children who have seizures, learning difficulties, or autism.

Dr. Jones was chosen as an IF/THEN Ambassador by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). This is the biggest science group in the world. In this role, she inspires young girls and women to pursue careers in STEM. She is dedicated to continuing to mentor students and create opportunities for them to study abroad. She is also an Ethics Fellow at the American Society for Microbiology.

Inspiring Others

Dr. Jones has always been involved in mentoring and teaching. She taught biology classes during her master's and doctoral programs. She also taught young students from underrepresented groups in Tallahassee, Florida.

She volunteered with the Girls 2 Divas Mentoring Program. She also spent time at the Ronald McDonald House in Washington, D.C. Dr. Jones started a program called "Young Scientist Wednesdays." Through this, she teaches science to patients at Children's National Hospital using fun, hands-on activities. She also shares science on her YouTube channel, "Hey Dr. Tay."

As an AAAS IF/THEN ambassador, Dr. Jones mentors middle school students. She helps inspire young women to go into STEM fields. She also learned how to share her story better to help more people. In January 2020, Dr. Jones appeared on the CBS TV show "Mission Unstoppable." This show highlights amazing women in STEM. Dr. Jones wants to be a role model for young girls from minority groups. She knows how important it is to have a mentor who looks like you and understands your experiences.

Awards and Honors

• Center for Research, Education, and Training Enhancement Award (2016)
• Graduate Student Leadership Award (2016)
• Life Science's Symposium People's Choice Poster Award (2016)
• FSU Academic Leadership Award (2017)
• AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador (2019)

Selected Publications

• Jones L, Goode L, Davila E, et al. Translational effects and coding potential of an upstream open reading frame associated with DOPA Responsive Dystonia. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2017;1863(6):1171‐1182. doi:10.1016/j.bbadis.2017.03.024.
• Jones, L.C., Son, A., Hashimoto-Torii, K., Torii, M. Role of Plexin-A1 in Postnatal Development of Corpus Callosum. Oral. Center for Neuroscience Research. Washington, D.C. November 2018.
• Jones, L., Davila, E., Goode, L., Bhide, P.G., Armata, I. Functional characterization of the upstream start codon in the GCH1 gene. Poster. The MDS 20th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders. Berlin, Germany. June 2016.
• Jones, L., Davila, E., Goode, L., Bhide, P.G., Armata, I. Overriding upstream reading frames associated with L-dopa responsive dystonia and other human diseases. Poster. Society for Neuroscience Conference, Chicago, IL. October 2015.