Training is not a secondary function of this laboratory—it is part of the scientific mission. Every prior PhD student who has trained here has earned an NIH or AHA fellowship, published mechanistic work, and gone on to an independent research career. If that's the trajectory you're looking for, here's what to know and how to reach out.
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For Prospective Graduate Students
We recruit through any basic science department in the School of Medicine. Most students come through Physiology, Biochemistry, or Pharmacology. We also accept MD/PhD students. If you want to know why the heart fails at a mechanistic level rather than just documenting that it does, and you want that question answered with real, functional outcomes, this lab will suit you. Rotation students are welcome to email Dr. Jones to set up their rotation, with the next opening in Fall 2027.
For Undergraduates
The lab has a long-running undergraduate and bioengineering co-op pipeline, with students going on to MD, MD/PhD, PhD, and MEng programs at Louisville, Penn, and Purdue. Email Dr. Jones about undergraduate research opportunities, which are evaluated on an ongoing basis.
What Training Here Looks Like
This is a lab where trainees present their own work at national meetings (American Heart Association; American Physiological Society, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology). The lab has weekly lab meetings; you meet with Dr. Jones one-on-one each week; independence grows with your experience; lab census held constant at 3–6 members. You are expected to challenge others and be challenged. The point is to advance the science and grow as a scientist. Without challenging yourself, your lab mates, and the PI, there is no growth.
Funding & Support
The lab has a long track record of support from the NIH and American Heart Association awards. Likewise, it has a strong record of moving trainees onto their own fellowships—NIH F31s and AHA predoctoral awards among them. Stipends for PhD and MD/PhD students are covered throughout the duration of their PhD training, regardless of having a fellowship or not.
Current Openings
- Undergraduates inquiries are welcome year-found.
- The next opening for a first-year PhD student is Fall 2027.
- No funded postdoc opening at this time.
How to Reach Out
If mechanism-first, translational science—the kind that has to hold up in a beating heart, not just a dish—is what you're looking for in a training environment, reach out to Dr. Jones.
Email [email protected] with:
Email [email protected] with:
- A brief note on what draws you to the lab's work in plain language
- Your CV/résumé
- Anything else you want; just be genuine