Roshonda Barner Jones, PhD

Dr. Roshonda Jones is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at North Carolina A&T State University. She received her B.S. in Applied Mathematics at North Carolina A&T State University in 2011 and PhD in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at UNC Charlotte in 2016. Dr. Jones went on to continue her training as a postdoc at the University of Southern California and at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the area of childhood obesity focusing on how added sugars increase obesity risk in Latinx children. She has also spent time in industry as a Senior Bioinformatics Scientist at a pet health company where she examined how lifestyle factors influence obesity risk in pets via their gut microbiome.

My overarching research goal is to decrease the burden of obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and other adverse health outcomes in children by inspiring policies that would increase healthy food accessibility for underserved communities. I have transdisciplinary research experience and expertise in bioinformatics, biology, obesity, T2D, and statistics. I address my research questions through experimental investigations and observational analyses, which examine risk factors for obesity and T2D. My research has examined the complex influence of diet, the gut microbiome, and interventions on obesity, metabolic health, and cognitive function in minority children. A large component of my research effort is aimed at understanding the multiple factors that contribute to disparities in obesity observed among racial/ethnic minorities, including early life feeding practices and social determinants of health (SDoH). Thus, my research is aimed at utilizing statistics, computing, bioinformatics, and machine learning to determine 1) the SDoH that drive the food accessibility and influences diet, particularly excessive added sugar consumption, in underserved minority children and 2) how the structure and function of the gut microbiome is affected by these dietary choices and the impact this has on obesity outcomes and cognitive function in underserved children. 

Specifically, starting with my Ph.D. training in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, I received training that has led me to become well versed in the fields of bioinformatics, computer programming, statistics and metagenomics. Under the guidance of Dr. Anthony Fodor, I evaluated and critiqued current methods used in microbiome/metagenomics research. Armed with an in-depth knowledge of how to measure and assess microbiome data, I wanted to discover the role of the human gut microbiome in disease and how this is impacted by diet in underserved communities. I had the opportunity to collaborate with neurobiologists and childhood obesity researchers to determine the impact of ad libitum sugar solutions on the gut microbiome of juvenile rats and found that sugar consumption versus water alters the gut microbiome in these rodents. This research led me to join a childhood obesity lab for my postdoctoral training. Under Dr. Michael Goran’s mentorship, I have been involved in determining the role of diet on the gut microbiome of infants and adolescents and how this impacts obesity outcomes. After four years as a Postdoctoral Scholar, I decided to explore industry. I joined a pet health start-up called Nom Nom as a Senior Bioinformatics Scientist where I used the combination of owner-administered health surveys and metagenomic data (obtained from pet’s stool samples) to understand the environmental and dietary factors that shape pet health and how the gut microbiome mediates this relationship. This opportunity allowed me to I to gain exposure to cloud computing, develop novel statistical techniques to personalize therapeutics and strengthen my collaboration skills by managing our relationships with third-party vendors and contractors. 

Keywords: Bioinformatics, computing, metagenomics, diet, obesity, diabetes, statistics

Publications:

1. Johnson DE, Jones RB Predicting child health with gut microbiome development trajectories. Nat Microbiol 10, 265–266 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-024-01920-6
2. Mokhtari P, Schmidt KA, Zamanian H, Babaei M, Machle CJ, Trifonova D, Alderete TL, Holzhausen EA, Ottino-González J, Chalifour BN, Jones RB, Furst, A., Yonemitsu, C., Bode, L., & Goran, M. I. (2024). Maternal Diet Associated with Oligosaccharide Abundances in Human Milk from Latina Mothers. Nutrients, 16(12), 1795. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16121795
3. Tate DE, Tanprasertsuk J, Jones RB, Maughan H, Chakrabarti A, Khafipour E, Norton SA, Shmalberg J, Honaker RW. A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Impact of a Novel Probiotic and Nutraceutical Supplement on Pruritic Dermatitis and the Gut Microbiota in Privately Owned Dogs. Animals. 2024 Jan 30;14(3):453.
4. Kittson MA, Tanprasertsuk J, Burnham CM, Honaker RW, Jones RB, Trivedi S, Strong S, Ange-van Heugten K. Fecal microbiome associations with age, body condition score, and stool consistency in domestic cats (Felis catus) living in an animal shelter. Pre-print. 2023
5. Tanprasertsuk J, Jones RB, Tate D, Oba P, Belchik S, Swanson K, Shmalberg J, Honaker R. Beagle dogs living in household or controlled environments show different gut microbiome profiles when fed an identical diet or diet type. Pre-print. 2023
6. Schmidt KA, Jones RB, Rios C, Corona Y, Berger PK, Plows JF, Alderete TL, Fogel J, Hampson H, Hartiala JA, Cai Z, Allayee H, Nayak KS, Sinatra FR, Harlan G, Pickering TA, Salvy SJ, Mack WJ, Kohli R, Goran MI. Clinical Intervention to Reduce Dietary Sugar Does Not Affect Liver Fat in Latino Youth, Regardless of PNPLA3 Genotype: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Nutrition. 2022. PubMed PMID: 35218194.
7. Plows JF, Berger PK, Jones RB, Campbell E, Leibovitch E, Alderete TL, Horowitz M, Pi-Sunyer X, Gallagher D, Goran MI. Development and Validation of a Prediction Model for Infant Fat Mass. J Pediatr. 2022. PubMed PMID: 34971655.
8. Hampson HE, Jones RB, Berger PK, Plows JF, Schmidt KA, Alderete TL, Goran MI. Adverse Effects of Infant Formula Made with Corn-Syrup Solids on the Development of Eating Behaviors in Hispanic Children. Nutrients. 2022. PubMed PMID: 35268090.
9. Tanprasertsuk J, Jha AR, Shmalberg J, Jones RB, Perry LM, Maughan H, Honaker RW. The microbiota of healthy dogs demonstrates individualized responses to synbiotic supplementation in a randomized controlled trial. Animal microbiome. 2021 Dec;3(1):1-9.
10. Wild LE, Patterson WB, Jones RB, Plows JF, Berger PK, Rios C, Fogel JL, Goran MI, Alderete TL. Risk of Micronutrient Inadequacy among Hispanic, Lactating Mothers: Preliminary Evidence from the Southern California Mother’s Milk Study. Nutrients. 2021. PubMed PMID: 34579129.
11. Vidmar AP, Jones RB, Wee CP, Berger PK, Plows JF, Claudia Rios RD, Raymond JK, Goran MI. Timing of food consumption in Hispanic adolescents with obesity. Pediatric Obesity. 2021. PubMed PMID: 33370849.
12. Patterson WB, Glasson J, Naik N, Jones RB, Berger PK, Plows JF, Minor HA, Lurmann F, Goran MI, Alderete TL. Prenatal exposure to ambient air pollutants and early infant growth and adiposity in the Southern California Mother’s Milk Study. Environ Health. 2021. PubMed PMID: 34090448.
13. Jones RB, Arenaza L, Rios C, Plows JF, Berger PK, Alderete TL, Fogel JL, Nayak K, Mohamed P, Hwang D, Palmer S, Sinatra F, Allayee H, Kohli R, Goran MI. PNPLA3 Genotype, Arachidonic Acid Intake, and Unsaturated Fat Intake Influences Liver Fibrosis in Hispanic Youth with Obesity. Nutrients. 2021. PubMed PMID: 34065978.
14. Wild LE, Alderete TL, Naik NC, Patterson WB, Berger PK, Jones RB, Plows JF, Goran MI. Specific amino acids but not total protein attenuate postpartum weight gain among Hispanic women from Southern California. Food Science & Nutrition. 2021 Apr;9(4):1842-50.
15. Plows JF, Berger PK, Jones RB, Alderete TL, Yonemitsu C, Najera JA, Khwajazada S, Bode L, Goran MI. Longitudinal Changes in Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) Over the Course of 24 Months of Lactation. Journal of Nutrition. 2021. PubMed PMID: 33693851.
16. Noble EE, Olson CA, Davis E, Tsan L, Chen YW, Schade R, Liu C, Suarez A, Jones RB, de La Serre C, Yang X, Hsiao EY, Kanoski SE. Gut microbial taxa elevated by dietary sugar disrupt memory function. Transl Psychiatry. 2021. PubMed PMID: 33790226.
17. Wild LE, Patterson WB, Jones RB, Plows JF, Berger PK, Rios C, Fogel JL, Goran MI, Alderete TL. Risk of Micronutrient Inadequacy among Hispanic, Lactating Mothers: Preliminary Evidence from the Southern California Mother’s Milk Study. Nutrients. 2021 Sep 18;13(9):3252.
18. Alderete TL, Jones RB, Shaffer JP, Holzhausen EA, Patterson WB, Kazemian E, Chatzi L, Knight R, Plows JF, Berger PK, Goran MI. Early life gut microbiota is associated with rapid infant growth in Hispanics from Southern California. Gut Microbes. 2021. PubMed PMID: 34424832.
19. Berger PK, Plows JF, Jones RB, Alderete TL, Yonemitsu C, Poulsen M, Ryoo JH, Peterson BS, Bode L, Goran MI. Human milk oligosaccharide 2’-fucosyllactose links feedings at 1 month to cognitive development at 24 months in infants of normal and overweight mothers. PloS one. 2020 Feb 12;15(2):e0228323.
20. Jones RB, Berger PK, Plows JF, Alderete TL, Millstein J, Fogel J, Iablokov SN, Rodionov DA, Osterman AL, Bode L, Goran MI. Lactose-reduced infant formula with added corn syrup solids is associated with a distinct gut microbiota in Hispanic infants. Gut Microbes. 2020. PubMed PMID: 32887539.
21. Berger PK, Plows JF, Jones RB, Alderete TL, Rios C, Pickering TA, Fields DA, Bode L, Peterson BS, Goran MI. Associations of maternal fructose and sugar-sweetened beverage and juice intake during lactation with infant neurodevelopmental outcomes at 24 months. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020. PubMed PMID: 33020800.
22. Berger PK, Plows JF, Jones RB, Alderete TL, Yonemitsu C, Ryoo JH, Bode L, Goran MI. Human Milk Oligosaccharides and Hispanic Infant Weight Gain in the First 6 Months. Obesity. 2020. PubMed PMID: 32935530.
23. Alderete TL, Wild LE, Mierau SM, Bailey MJ, Patterson WB, Berger PK, Jones RB, Plows JF, Goran MI. Added sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages are associated with increased postpartum weight gain and soluble fiber intake is associated with postpartum weight loss in Hispanic women from Southern California. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2020 Sep 1;112(3):519-26.
24. Fouladi F, Bailey MJ, Patterson WB, Sioda M, Blakley IC, Fodor AA, Jones RB, Chen Z, Kim JS, Lurmann F, Martino C, Knight R, Gilliland FD, Alderete TL. Air pollution exposure is associated with the gut microbiome as revealed by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Environ Int. 2020. PubMed PMID: 32135388.
25. Plows JF, Berger PK, Jones RB, Yonemitsu C, Ryoo JH, Alderete TL, Bode L, Goran MI. Associations between human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and eating behaviour in Hispanic infants at 1 and 6 months of age. Pediatric Obesity. 2020. PubMed PMID: 32621402.
26. Sun S, Jones RB, Fodor AA. Inference-based accuracy of metagenome prediction tools varies across sample types and functional categories. Microbiome. 2020. PubMed PMID: 32241293
27. Plows JF, Rios C, Berger PK, Jones RB, Alderete TL, Steinberg S, Bangao T, Beale E, Goran MI. Effects of a sugar-reduction intervention on diet and continuous blood glucose in adolescents on the remote Pacific island of Kiritimati: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Pre-print.2020.
28. Jones RB, Alderete TL, Kim JS, et al. High intake of dietary fructose in overweight/obese teenagers associated with depletion of Eubacterium and Streptococcus in gut microbiome. Gut Microbes. 2019. PubMed PMID: 30991877
29. Berger PK, Plows JF, Jones RB, Pollock NK, Alderete TL, Ryoo JH, Goran MI. Maternal blood pressure mediates the association between maternal obesity and infant weight gain in early postpartum. Pediatric obesity. 2019 Nov;14(11):e12560.
30. Jones RB, Alderete TL, Martin AA, Geary BA, Hwang DH, Palmer SL, Goran MI. Probiotic supplementation increases obesity with no detectable effects on liver fat or gut microbiota in obese Hispanic adolescents: a 16-week, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatric Obesity. 2018. PubMed PMID: 29493105
31. Wilson QN, Wells M, Davis AT, Sherrill C, Tsilimigras MCB, Jones RB, Fodor AA, Kavanagh K. Greater Microbial Translocation and Vulnerability to Metabolic Disease in Healthy Aged Female Monkeys. Scientific Reports. 2018. PubMed PMID: 30054517
32. Jones RB, Fodor AA, Peery AF, Tsilimigras MCB, Winglee K, McCoy A, Sioda M, Sandler RS, Keku TO. An Aberrant Microbiota is not Strongly Associated with Incidental Colonic Diverticulosis. Scientific Reports. 2018. PubMed PMID: 29563543
33. Jones RB, Zhu X, Moan E, Murff HJ, Ness RM, Seidner DL, Sun S, Yu C, Dai Q, Fodor AA, Azcarate-Peril MA, Shrubsole MJ. Inter-niche and inter-individual variation in gut microbial community assessment using stool, rectal swab, and mucosal samples. Scientific Reports. 2018. PubMed PMID: 29515151
34. Alderete TL, Jones RB, Chen Z, Kim JS, Habre R, Lurmann F, Gilliland FD, Goran MI. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution and the composition of the gut microbiota in overweight and obese adolescents. Environmental Research. 2018. PubMed PMID: 29220800
35. Noble EE, Hsu TM, Jones RB, Fodor AA, Goran MI, Kanoski SE. Early-Life Sugar Consumption Affects the Rat Microbiome Independently of Obesity. Journal of Nutrition. 2017. PubMed PMID: 27903830

Presentations:

1. Diverse Representation in Gut Microbiome Development Research. NCAT CoST Coffee and Chat. February 2025. Greensboro, NC (poster presentation)
2. Early Consumption of Dietary Sugar is Associated with Altered Gut Microbiome In Infants and Later Child Health. NCAT The Honors’ College – Faculty Research Seminar Series. January 2025. Greensboro, NC (oral presentation)
3. The Gut Microbiome and Fecal Metabolome as a Link Between Early Life Air Pollution Exposure and Childhood Obesity. International Society Environmental Engineering Conference: Multi-omics Applications in the Era of Precision Environmental Health. August 2024. Santiago, Chile (oral presentation)
4. Direct-to-Consumer Microbiome Testing Combined with Extensive Validated Surveys Allow for Determination of Key Health and Lifestyle Drivers of Gut Microbial Communities in Household Dogs. 8th Annual Translational Microbiome Conference. April 2023. Washington, DC (oral presentation)
5. Direct-to-Consumer Microbiome Testing Combined with Extensive Validated Surveys Allow for Determination of Key Health and Lifestyle Drivers of Gut Microbial Diversity in Household Dogs. Microbiome Interactions in Health and Disease. October 2022. Wellcome Genome Campus, UK (oral presentation)
6. Formula with Added Sugars Significantly Alters Gut Microbiota and Cognitive Development in Hispanic Infants. USC Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute 7th Annual Research Symposium. February 2020. University of Southern California. Los Angeles, CA (oral presentation)
7. Association Between Maternal Macronutrient Intake with Human Milk Oligosaccharides in Hispanic Mothers. Nutrition 2019. June 2019. Baltimore, MD. (poster presentation)
8. High Dietary Fructose Is Associated With Decreased Eubacterium And Streptococcus In Adolescent Gut, TOS ObesityWeek. November 2018. Nashville, TN (poster presentation)
9. High Dietary Fructose Is Associated With Decreased Eubacterium And Streptococcus In Adolescent Gut. Nutritional Immunology and the Microbiota: Rules of Engagement in Health and Disease. June 2018. Leesburg, VA (oral presentation)
10. Efficacy of Probiotic Supplementation on Obesity, Liver Fat and Gut Microbiota in Obese Hispanic Adolescents. USC 2nd Annual Postdoc Scholar Research Symposium. May 2017.  University of Southern California. Los Angeles, CA (oral presentation)
11. Gene Expression Profiling of Colorectal Cancer Patients with KRAS mutation. Genentech Poster Day. August 2015. Genentech, South San Francisco, CA (poster presentation)
12. Comparison of 16S Sequences and Whole­ Genome Metagenome Sequences in a Non­Human Primate System. UCLA Lake Arrowhead Microbial Genomics (LAMG) 2014 Symposium, September 2014. Lake Arrowhead, CA (poster presentation)
13. Fisher’s Exact Test and Its Applications. UNCG Regional Mathematics and Statistics Conference. November 2010. UNC-Greensboro, Greensboro, NC (oral presentation)
14. Intron Retention in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Molecular Biology Retreat. October, 2010. NC Arboretum, Asheville, NC. (chalk talk presentation)
15. Correlated Expression Analysis of Genes Using Regression. SIAM Student Conference. February 2009. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. (oral presentation)
16. Entropy Distance Method and Applications. TIMBER Mathematical Biology Conference. November 2008.  Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. (oral presentation)
17. The Jukes-Cantor Correction in Comparative Genomics. Annual Math Awareness Day, April 2008. North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC. (oral presentation)

Mentorship:

Primary Mentor 

Mentee: Jasmyn Grant Fall 2024

Undergraduate Student, North Carolina A&T State University

Mentee: Jalen Herring Fall 2024

Undergraduate Student, North Carolina A&T State University

Mentee: Solomon Isi 2019

Summer Program in Diabetes and Obesity Research (SPIDOR), CHLA

Mentee: Ashley Portillo 2018

Summer Program in Diabetes and Obesity Research (SPIDOR), USC

Mentee: Marisol Reveles 2018 – 2020

Research Volunteer, USC/CHLA

Mentee: Djosy Charles 2017

Research Volunteer, USC

Co-Mentor

Mentee: Emili Moan 2015

Summer Program to Increase Diversity in Undergraduate Research (SPIDUR) 

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Roshonda-Jones?ev=hdr_xprf
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2BlNL24AAAAJ&hl=en&authuser=1

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1637-3517 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roshondabjones/ 

GitHub: https://github.com/rbarner 

Lab website: https://www.rjoneslab.com/ 

Scientific memberships:

International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) 2023 – present

The Black Women In Computational Biology Network (BWCB) (Secretary) 2022 – present

Black Microbiologists Association (BMA) 2021 – present

American Society for Nutrition (ASN) 2018 – present