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DR. JONES
She Had to Become what She Hadn't Seen
Before Dr. LaQuita Jones became a board-certified pediatric oncologist specializing in hematologic malignancies (blood cancers), physician-scientist, and mentor, she was a first-generation college student with an ambitious path ahead of her—and no doctors in her family to show her how to navigate it.
She became the first.
Dr. Jones earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology/Pre-Medicine with honors, followed by her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine. She went on to complete a pediatric residency and pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship before joining the faculty at her current institution as part of its hematologic malignancies program and leukemia/lymphoma team.
Her journey would eventually bring together the things that matter most to her: faith, medicine, science, representation, and creating a clearer path for those coming behind her.
Her passion and compassion for patients and families dealing with cancer, her research.
Then, She Started Breaking Barriers
Dr. Jones became the first Black oncologist at her institution and the first Black physician-scientist at her institution to receive a prestigious NIH career development award. She has maintained continuous research funding since 2017, building a nationally recognized body of work in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Her research has been recognized by the National Cancer Institute, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, V Foundation, and Keystone Symposia. In 2023, the Cincinnati Business Courier named her one of its “Forty Under 40.” In 2025, she was promoted to Associate Professor, continuing to expand her impact across clinical care, research, and mentorship nationally.
As principal investigator of the Jones Laboratory, she studies novel therapeutics and mechanisms of drug resistance in AML, including resistance to targeted therapies in FLT3-mutant AML, resistance to hypomethylating agents in pediatric and young adult AML, and pharmacoequity in relapsed/refractory B-ALL.
Behind all of that science is a deeply human question: How can we make cancer treatment better—and make sure better treatment actually reaches the patients who need it?
And She's Making the Road Wider
Dr. Jones knows what it means to enter spaces where few people share your background—or your story. That’s part of why her work doesn’t stop with her own success.
Alongside treating patients and leading research, she is committed to nurturing the spiritual, emotional, and professional resilience of the next generation of physicians and scientists.
Through her mentorship program, she provides guidance, community, and support for aspiring and early-career healthcare professionals, with a particular heart for those who are first-generation or underrepresented in medicine.
She also brings that same care to families navigating cancer. As a compassionate communicator and advocate, Dr. Jones has a gift for making complicated medical information understandable—offering families clarity during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
Because for Dr. Jones, legacy isn't simply about being the first.
It's about making sure she isn't the last.
