For Immediate Release: December 5, 2024, Houston, Texas
For University of Houston alum, Taylor Jones, public health is a passion that has been shaped by her own personal battle with cancer. When she was only 13, Jones was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma.
“Basically, I feel like cancer is the toughest thing I’ve gone through,” Jones said. “It has also been the biggest blessing—in terms of what I want to become, and what I want to contribute to. I just remember thinking--I want to do something that involves cancer--whether it is helping people or doing research.”
A former HEALTH-RCMI Student Cadre team leader, Jones has now assumed the role of Program Manager I for the HEALTH-RCMI's Investigator Development Core. During her undergraduate studies at UH, Jones diligently balanced her time between her work as a pre-med student and the HEALTH-RCMI Student Cadre.
Through her work with the Student Cadre, Jones was introduced to the crucial tenets of community advocacy and collaboration. Jones was an inaugural member of the first Student Cadre Cohort, 2022-2023.
“I think my takeaway is that it was so important to join the Student Cadre, because it’s not only research and getting involved in research, but also getting involved in the community,” Jones said. “It is the best of both worlds. You can network with community leaders, but also work with wise, intelligent people out there. It makes you a more well-rounded person, a well-rounded doctor--to show diverse cultures and the disparities that we may not be aware of.”
One of the most exciting chapters of the HEALTH-RCMI Student Cadre was the moment the students received a grant, NEXT G.H.E.N. grant through the City of Houston. For Jones, this achievement was a full-circle moment, and it further sealed her belief in this pioneering group.
“Everyone here has the same goal and same initiative,” Jones said. “That’s what I really love about the Student Cadre. What inspired my interest was just community engagement and creating a strong bond with community leaders. I love every aspect of it."
Jones looks forward to her new role as a Program Manager. She is enthusiastic about learning more from principal investigators and her new colleagues with the Community Engagement Core and Investigator Development Core.
“I’m excited to gain guidance and mentorship from the entire team,” Jones said. “I also want to help ease the process for the principal investigators, as they develop their research initiatives.”
Collaborating with UH researchers will help her hone her professional perspective. Since Jones grappled with a cancer struggle in her teens, her overarching life goal is to become an oncologist.
“I believe the role of a doctor is beyond treating a patient,” Jones said. “It must be patient advocacy—and how healthcare is provided in a marginalized community, in an underserved population. Many of the health disparities are happening in the healthcare system because of biases and prejudiced views. I want to tackle this new role as a Program Manager, because it will make me more well-rounded. I want to be an advocate for underserved populations.”
Jones’ path in cancer prevention has also been defined by the guidance and wisdom of her mom, Theresa, who recently lost her life to breast cancer.
“I would ask my mom, ‘What is the purpose in life’?” Jones said. “She would tell me, ‘I want my children to put their best foot forward and make an impact who will make a change in this world.’ Always transform your pain into purpose. Any pain you have had in your life, change it into your purpose in your life.”
--Alison Medley
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Alison Medley at 713.320.0933 or email aemedle2@central.uh.edu
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