Rebecca (Adeigbe) Jones: Pushing the Public Health Envelope

Share On Social!

Rebecca (Adeigbe) Jones grew up in South Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley, a mostly Latino area that often lacks basic infrastructure—like streets and running water—and also is short on doctors and public health services.

Jones now works to improve health in this region and beyond.

Jones, a researcher at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio, empowers people to take control of their health, and emboldens others to focus on health research and changes.

“I’ve been increasingly attuned to high poverty and disease rates—and I enjoy working hard to make a real difference in improving health and quality of life,” Jones said.

Jones got her big break into public health in 2010.

As an intern for Míranos!, an obesity prevention program for preschoolers in San Antonio, Texas, she dressed up as Cookie Monster to teach kids about healthy foods.

“I often joke that my first gig as a health researcher was dancing around in a Cookie Monster costume teaching pre-k students about ‘sometimes’ and ‘anytime’ foods. But the program was a success, and ever since then I have been very interested in health research and investigating health improvement,” she said.

Today at the IHPR, Jones coordinates several research programs.

In the past, she has helped coordinate Salud America! and more.

“It’s a great way to give back,” Jones said.