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Research Profiles
Simonne Jones - Visual Arts in Biomedical Research
Teaching AIDS education in Kitase, Ghana was an eye opening experience. Working in the HHMI lab at the University of Maryland under Dr. Michael Summers I became acquainted with the disease, but it was not until I did my research in Ghana that I began to understand its impact in the world first hand. Working under an undergraduate research award, I was able to formalize a study that evaluated the effects of an HIV/AIDS awareness intervention on children living in Kitase and the surrounding villages. Results suggested that the youth had significantly fewer negative attitudes and transmission myths from pre- to post-intervention. Educating children in Africa about HIV/AIDS can make a profound difference in the prevalence of the disease. The results from this study could raise awareness about the health disparities specifically caused by HIV in Ghana.
I am currently working with Dr. Summers and a group of scientists and artists to create an animation to help researchers visualize and communicate how HIV operates. I am also beginning a study on how the exposure and success of contemporary art is mediated by a select few who decide the aesthetic value of art for the masses. Through these research experiences, UMBC has endowed me with a multitude of opportunities to connect with a diverse range of people in meaningful ways.
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