Meet Dr. Quin

Dr. Quindel Jones, also known as Dr. Quin, is a 28-year-old mathematical scientist, originally from Jackson, Mississippi.  She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Jackson State University in Spring 2019.

 

While attending JSU, Quindel devoted herself to using mathematics to connect to youth by volunteering in the local community. She made these connections through her volunteer work in ACT workshops, GED prep courses, and outreach programs such as "JSU Girls Engaging in the Mathematical Sciences" (GEMS) and more. The head of the GEMS program, and her undergraduate mentor, Dr. Jana Talley made sure to not only encourage young girls K-12 but also encouraged Quin to consider graduate school and helped her apply to several research experiences for undergraduates (REUs). 

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After her first research experience at the Rochester Institute of Technology the previous summer, she decided to pursue her graduate degree in mathematical modeling.  She was accepted and awarded the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholar Fellowship to support her education at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). While in graduate school, Dr. Quin continued to champion community connections through her roles as Vice President and then President of the VCU Chapter of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) and as Event Coordinator for VCU Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA). She later received her PhD in Systems Modeling and Analysis in Spring 2024 from VCU. 

 

Her research is in the area of mathematical biology, where she utilizes computational solutions to ordinary differential equations to answer questions in medicine and biology. She works on dynamic mathematical modeling projects that represent social and biological phenomena (e.g. disease progression, social dynamics, and outcome prediction). Previous projects have ranged from modeling the cell dynamics in disease processes to predictive modeling of sickle cell pain, with her dissertation covering “Dynamic Mathematical Approaches to Understanding Pain in Sickle cell Disease”. Her current research interests include the pathophysiology and mechanistic modeling of the immune system and its responses to pathogens, illnesses, and the environment.

 

Recently, Dr. Quin joined the Laboratory for Systems Medicine in the College of Medicine at the University of Florida. She currently has two main areas of research: mathematical modeling of infectious respiratory disease and assessing systems modeling frameworks. Her professional mission is to conduct research that aids in closing the health disparity gap for Black Americans and other marginalized groups while also encouraging more women and minority students to become scientists.

 

Since graduate school, Dr. Quin has amassed a video catalogue 100+ long and uses her social media platforms to help young people recognize the power in their authenticity and their potential for greatness. She has documented the dissertation writing years of her doctoral study program and continues to share her journey as an early career scientist in medicine.  

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Through both her outreach efforts in mathematics and her growing platform on social media, Dr. Quin aims to fulfill her personal and professional mission to inspire and encourage young women's interest in the mathematical sciences.