Akhenaton-Andrew Dhafir Jones

Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dr. Jones' research uses engineering and policy analysis to help solve global challenges related to water and health. He is a 2021 recipient of the NIH R35 Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award to develop new models and tools for studying biofilms and a 2019 Sloan SEED fund award to develop new tools for point of use water quality monitoring systems. He was recognized as Young Investigator by the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State, the premier center for biofilm research in the US. He received a BS in Mathematics and BS, MS, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where he was a Lemelson Presidential Fellow and Alfred P. Sloan MPHD Scholar. He completed post-doctoral training as a Future Faculty Fellow at Northeastern University. He has directly supervised 2 high school students, over 20 undergraduates, 5 MS, 5 PhD, and 2 post-doctoral trainees including 8 from underrepresented backgrounds and 19 women. He and his team have presented at over 40 conferences and seminars. He served as a Pratt Coaching 360 advisor and Duke UCEM Faculty Champion for Civil & Environmental Engineering.

Appointments and Affiliations

• Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Assistant Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Contact Information

• Office Location: 534 Research Dr., Wilkinson 215, Durham, NC 27708
• Office Phone: +1 919 660 8453
• Email Address: andrew.jones3@duke.edu
• Websites:
  • LinkedIn
  • Systems for Engaging the Environment Lab
  • Google Scholar

Education

• Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018
• M.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014
• B.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010
• B.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010

Research Interests

Biofilms, cardiovascular infections, infectious diseases, biomaterials, antibiotics, porous media flows, fate and transport of nanomaterials in biofilms, water quality sensors, environmental systems analysis, environmental equity, environmental justice

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

• Early Career Alumnus Award. SSRC’s Sloan Scholars Mentoring Network. 2024
• Outstanding Postdoc Mentor. Duke University Office of Postdoctoral Services. 2023
• 1,000 Inspiring Black Scientists in America. Cell Press . 2021
• Post-doctoral Student Award. The American Institute of Chemist. 2019
• Young Investigator Award. Montana State University Center for Biofilm Engineering. 2018

Courses Taught

• ME 591: Research Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science
• EGR 101L: Engineering Design and Communication
• CEE 701: Graduate Colloquium
• CEE 690: Advanced Topics in Civil and Environmental Engineering
• CEE 560: Environmental Transport Phenomena
• CEE 493: Research Independent Study in Civil and Environmental Engineering
• CEE 394: Research Independent Study in Civil and Environmental Engineering
• CEE 301L: Fluid Mechanics

In the News

• Computational Modeling Searches for Weak Spot In Common Infection of Cystic Fibrosis (Nov 30, 2023 | Pratt School of Engineering)
• Merging Policy and Technology for a Resilient Water System (Apr 1, 2022 | DukEngineer Magazine)
• Welcome the Pratt School New Faculty (Oct 26, 2021 | Pratt School of Engineering)
• Andrew Jones III: Expanding Access to Safe, Clean Water (Apr 15, 2021 | Duke Engineering News)

Representative Publications

• Woolley, G; Kroll, K; Hoffman, K; Ward, A; Corneli, A; Mudrak, SV; Qureshi, MU; Okeke, NL; Chan, C; Jones, A-AD; Tomaras, GD; Reeves, RK, The Climate Change Burden on Immune Health: Are Persons Living with HIV More at Risk?, AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses, vol 40 no. 10 (2024), pp. 549-554 [10.1089/AID.2024.0050] [abs].
• Childs, SK; Jones, A-AD, A microtiter peg lid with ziggurat geometry for medium-throughput antibiotic testing and in situ imaging of biofilms., Biofilm, vol 6 (2023) [10.1016/j.bioflm.2023.100167] [abs].
• Prince, J; Jones, A-AD, Heterogenous biofilm mass-transport model replicates periphery sequestration of antibiotics in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 microcolonies., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol 120 no. 47 (2023) [10.1073/pnas.2312995120] [abs].
• Prince, J; Jones, A-AD, Heterogenous Biofilm Mass-Transport Model Replicates Periphery Sequestration of Antibiotics in P. aeruginosa PAO1 Microcolonies. (2023) [10.1101/2023.07.28.551018] [abs].
• Razgaleh, SA; Wrench, A; Jones, A-AD, Surface Energy and Viscoelastic Characteristics of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cutibacterium acnes Biofilm on Commercial Skin Constructs versus agar. (2023) [10.1101/2023.02.10.527933] [abs].