Rena Jones Awarded Scientific Tenure by the NIH
, by Jennifer K. Loukissas, M.P.P.
Rena Jones, Ph.D., M.S.
In October 2024, Rena Jones, Ph.D., M.S., was awarded scientific tenure by the NIH and promoted to senior investigator in the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB). Dr. Jones is an internationally recognized environmental epidemiologist with a focus on exposure assessment. By integrating geospatial data into epidemiologic studies, she has discovered novel associations between these exposures and cancer risks, many of which have meaningful public health implications for prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases. Dr. Jones is co-chair of the DCEG Geographic Analysis Working Group, which seeks to advance the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and geospatial methods in epidemiologic studies of cancer, and co-leads strategic planning for environmental studies in OEEB.
Outdoor Air Pollution: Risks for Lung Cancer and Other Malignancies
An important and innovative part of Dr. Jones’s air pollution research is her evaluation of ultrafine particles (UFP, <0.1 µm), which are unregulated and found in traffic-related air pollution and industrial emissions. These particles can penetrate deep into the airways and are potentially more toxic than larger particles. Few studies have examined the lung cancer risk associated with UFP exposure due to limited monitoring data.
Dr. Jones co-led the Los Angeles Ultrafines Study, the first of its kind in the U.S. She led a team to collect air pollution data from across the Los Angeles metro area and conducted a retrospective exposure assessment for participants in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study residing in the historically polluted region of Los Angeles. The team observed an association between UFP and adenocarcinoma of the lung which informed the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in its recommendation to make UFPs a high priority for evaluation as a human carcinogen.
In her studies of the cancer risks associated with other air pollutants, Dr. Jones has uncovered associations between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5, <2.5μm in diameter) and breast cancer. For individuals residing in proximity to ethylene oxide production facilities, she reported evidence of an association with increased risk of a ductal carcinoma in situ, an early-stage and non-invasive form of breast cancer. Additionally, she has reported increased risks of breast cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma related to dioxin emissions near the home.
Together with Jessica Madrigal, Ph.D., M.S., an independent research scholar in OEEB, she reported racial and ethnic disparities in exposure to carcinogenic air emissions: Black and Hispanic/Latino populations experience up to 24% higher odds of exposure compared to White populations, and an increased burden of exposure among those of low socioeconomic status. To evaluate cancer risks associated with these exposure inequities, Dr. Jones is leading an effort with Dr. Madrigal to pool multiple cohorts across the U.S., with a goal to bring together over one million participants.
Applying geospatial methods to lung cancer mortality and county-level estimates of smoking prevalence, Dr. Jones identified a previously unobserved cluster of counties with high incidence of lung cancer along the southern Mississippi River. The high lung cancer rates, despite low prevalence of smoking, suggest a role for environmental or occupational exposures.
Drinking Water Contaminants
Dr. Jones has also conducted important research investigating the carcinogenic effects of contaminants in drinking water, including nitrate, disinfection by-products (DBPs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In the Iowa Women’s Health Study, she enhanced assessments of nitrate and DBPs, discovering associations with cancers of the bladder and kidney for nitrate exposure, even at levels below regulatory limits. She also identified specific DBPs linked to increased risks of cancer of the colon and rectum, adding important evidence that corroborated the to-date small body of work in this area. Notably, her research on endometrial cancer revealed increased risk associated with two classes of DBPs at levels below regulatory limits. Dr. Jones is actively following up on these findings within the California Teachers’ Study, for which she co-led efforts to assess exposures to drinking water contaminants over multiple decades.
Her work has significantly contributed to the evidence linking certain PFAS to cancer risk. Dr. Jones was awarded the NCI Director’s Innovation Award and an NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health Co-Funding Award to investigate the effects of PFAS exposure on risk of ovarian and endometrial cancers in the NCI Prostate Lung Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) Cohort Study.
Leadership and Mentoring
Dr. Jones has been recognized for her outstanding mentoring of trainees with numerous awards and honors, including the DCEG Outstanding Mentor Award. She currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and holds the position of adjunct assistant professor in environmental health sciences at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut.
Dr. Jones joined DCEG in 2012 as a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Mary H. Ward, Ph.D., senior investigator, OEEB. She was promoted to research fellow in 2014 and to tenure-track investigator in 2017. Dr. Jones earned her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in epidemiology from the State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health.