Nicola Jones

Dr. Jones is a Senior Scientist in the Cell Biology Program, staff physician in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at SickKids and a Professor of Paediatrics and Physiology at the University of Toronto. She currently serves as the Director of the Integrated Physician Scientist Training Program at the University of Toronto. Dr. Jones completed her medical degree at the University of Toronto, paediatric residency and GI fellowship at SickKids, and a PhD in Molecular Medical Genetics at the University of Toronto.  

As a clinician scientist and paediatric gastroenterologist, her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms responsible for gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases including Helicobacter pylori and inflammatory bowel disease. She is passionate about supporting and developing the careers of clinician scientists through various roles including her role as Director of the Integrated Physician Scientist Training Program at the University of Toronto and previously as the principal investigator for the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program. 

Education and experience

• July 2018–Present: Director, Integrated Physician Scientist Training Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
• Feb. 2018–Feb. 2020: President, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
• 2010–Present: Senior Scientist, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario
• 2010–Present: Professor of Paediatrics. Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
• 2010–Present: Professor of Physiology. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
• 1999–Present: Staff Gastroenterologist, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, SickKids, Toronto, Ontario
• 2010–2014: Chair, Scholarly Oversight Committee, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, SickKids, Toronto, Ontario
• 2009–2014: Research Training Program Director, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, SickKids, Toronto, Ontario
• 2004–2009: Training Program Director, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, SickKids, Toronto, Ontario
• 2004–2010: Associate Professor of Paediatrics. Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
• 2004–2010: Associate Professor of Physiology. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
• 2003–2009: Scientist, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario
• 1999–2003: Clinician Scientist Track, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario
• 2002–2004: Research Training Program Director, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, SickKids, Toronto, Ontario
• 1999–2004: Assistant Professor of Paediatrics. Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
• 1999–2004: Assistant Professor of Physiology. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
• 1995–1999: PhD, Department of Molecular and Medical GeneticsUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  Supervisor(s): Sherman PM
  Subject: Thesis: Microbial Induction of Programmed Cell Death in the Gastrointestinal Tract
• 1994–1999: Research Fellow, SickKids, Toronto, Ontario
  Supervisor: Sherman PM
  Subject: Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
• 1993–1994: Clinical Fellow, SickKids, Toronto, Ontario
  Supervisor: Sherman PM
  Subject: Paediatric Gastroenterology
• 1990–1993: Resident, SickKids, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  Subject: Paediatrics
• 1989–1990: Rotating Internship, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 1989–1994: FRCP(C), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
  Subject: Paediatrics
• 1985–1989: MD, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 1983–1985: Undergraduate Training, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Achievements

• 2019: President-elect, Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation
• 2018: President of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
• 2018: Inaugural MD Program Teaching Award of Excellence, MD Program, University of Toronto
• 2014: Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Education Excellence Award
• 2012: Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Visiting Research Professorship Award
• 2009: Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Young Educator Award
• 2005: Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Young Investigator Award
• 2004: University of Toronto Department of Paediatrics Junior Faculty Research Award
• 2003: University of Toronto Department of Physiology Excellence in Teaching Award

1. SRI Capurro M, Greenfield LK, Abdullah M, Wong H, Zhong XZ, Wilms KJD, Bertaux-Skeirik N, Chakrabarti J, O’Brien C, Dong XP, Robinson L, Philpott DJ, Zavros Y, Helmrath M, Jones NL. (2019). VacA generates a protective intracellular reservoir for Helicobacter pylori which is eliminated by activation of the lysosomal calcium channel TRPML1. Nature Microbiology. 4(8): 1411-1423. 
2. SRI Capurro MI, Prashar A, Jones NL. MCOLN1/TRPML1 inhibition - a novel strategy used by Helicobacter pylori to escape autophagic killing and antibiotic eradication therapy in vivo. Autophagy. October 2019.
3. SRI. Adbullah M, Greenfield L, Bronte-Tinkew D, Capurro M, Rizutti D, Jones NL. VacA promotes CagA accumulation in gastric epithelial cells during Helicobacter pylori infection. Scientific Reports Jan 2019: 9 (1): pp 38.
4. SRI: Sibony M, Abdullah M, Greenfield L, Raju D, Wu T, Rodrigues D, Galindo-Mata E, Mascarenhas H, Philpott D, Silverberg M, Jones NL. Microbial disruption of autophagy alters expression of the RISC component AGO2, a critical regulator of the miRNA silencing pathway. Journal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Dec 2015: 21 (12): pp 2778-2786.
5. SRI: Raju D, Hussey S, Ang M, Terebiznik MR, Sibony M, Galindo-Mata E, Gupta V, Blanke SR, Delgado A, Romero-Gallo J, Ramjeet MS, Mascarenhas H, Peek RM, Correa P, Streutker C, Hold G, Kunstmann E, Yoshimori T, Silverberg MS, Girardin SE, Philpott DJ, El Omar E, Jones NL. Vacuolating cytotoxin and variants in Atg16L1 that disrupt autophagy promote Helicobacter pylori infection in humans. Gastroenterology 2012: 142 (5): pp 1160-1171.