Dennis Jones, PhD, Honored with Early Career Investigator Award
Dennis Jones, PhD, assistant professor of pathology & laboratory medicine, has received the 2026 Cotran Early Career Investigator award from the American Society for Investigative Pathology. The honor recognizes early career investigators who direct independent experimental pathology research programs that are focused on improvement of the understanding of the conceptual basis of disease.
Dennis Jones, PhD
Jones’ research focuses on understanding how tumors impact the functionality of blood vessels, which are essential for immune cells, such as T cells, to infiltrate tumors. His previous studies have found that tumors can cause the compression and dysfunction of blood vessels, which ultimately limits T cell entry into the tumor. His lab aims to develop approaches to improve vascular function within tumors, with the goal of increasing T cell entry. Currently, he is testing this combination therapy in preclinical models with the ultimate goal to improve outcomes for patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Jones has received a number of awards to support his research throughout his career. In 2024, he was named a National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Cancer Moonshot Scholar. A basic research scientist with expertise in vascular biology, cancer biology and immunology, Jones earned his BS in biology from Morehouse College and his PhD in immunobiology from Yale University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School.