About
Mark Jones, Professor of Respiratory Medicine, is a clinician scientist who leads a research group investigating lung fibrosis initiation and progression, from basic disease mechanisms to the development of new treatments, based on a programme of interdisciplinary research. His research is underpinned by strong multidisciplinary basic-translational-clinical interaction, involving multiple collaborations with other Faculties and externally with both Academia and Pharma. He is also the clinical lead for the interstitial lung disease service at University Hospitals Southampton where he has developed new models of care to reduce the time taken to patient diagnosis and treatment commencement.
Potential students, post-doctoral scientists or clinical scientists who are interested in joining his group are encouraged to contact Prof Jones.
Research
Research groups
Research interests
- Fibrosis initiation & progression
- Lung microenvironment
- Therapeutic targeting
Current research
Professor Jones’s research is focused on the development and progression of lung fibrosis where there is significant unmet need.
Inter-disciplinary studies
Lung tissue structure is complex and heterogeneous and so is challenging to study in both health and disease. Leveraging technological advances through integrated, inter-disciplinary approaches provides the opportunity to significantly advance our understanding of factors determining the development and progression of human lung fibrosis.
Through the Institute for Life Science we collaborate with colleagues in Engineering, Mathematics, and Chemistry as well as internationally to perform integrative structural and functional analyses of human lung fibrosis, applying approaches including spatial 'omics, label free imaging, atomic force microscopy, and multi-scale biomechanical testing to identify and dissect key pathogenetic mechanisms underlying progressive human lung fibrosis.
3D in vitro models of human fibrotic lung disease
There is a disconnect between increasing advances in understanding and modulating fibrosis in the experimental setting utilising animal models of fibrosis, and the very limited translation of these findings into effective treatments for patients. Informed by our human fibrosis tissue analyses we establish and validate advanced long term primary human cell-based culture models with human disease relevance for mechanistic and therapeutic targeting studies.
Dissecting mechanisms of progressive fibrosis
The factors that determine why lung fibrosis progresses rather than normal tissue repair occurs remain poorly understood. Current research in collaboration with colleagues in Biological Sciences is focussed upon microenvironmental determinants of this process, with the aim in partnership with Pharma of pharmacologically modulating aberrant fibrotic lung properties to halt progressive lung fibrosis.
Core factors dysregulating the lung fibrosis microenvironment and initiating progressive fibrosis development
Our understanding of fibrosis development has been significantly informed by studies of end-stage lung fibrosis. We are investigating key clinical, radiologic, and biomarker risk factors for the development of lung fibrosis, and then investigating identified pathobiology through biomimetic models of the lung microenvironment. The ultimate aim of our work is to identify at risk individuals and then initiate disease-modifying treatments prior to the onset of symptoms.
Research projects
Active projects
Completed projects
Publications
Teaching
Professor Jones teaches Respiratory Medicine to undergraduates and postgraduate clinicians.
Joint BM Finals Clinical Assessment Lead
BMedSc/MMedSc Project Supervisor
BM5 examiner including ACC and OSCE
External roles and responsibilities
Biography
Mark Jones received his medical degree in 2006 from the University of Southampton, graduating with distinction in medical sciences, distinction in clinical sciences, and honours. He trained in general medicine and was awarded an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship in Respiratory Medicine where he developed a sub-speciality interest in the diagnosis and management of patients with interstitial lung diseases. He was then awarded a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Training Fellowship at the University of Southampton, undertaking a PhD with Professors Donna Davies and Luca Richeldi to investigate early mechanisms of lung fibrosis and where he developed interests in human relevant in vitro models of fibrosis and the application of novel technologies to advance understanding of human lung fibrosis. Following the award of an NIHR Academic Clinical Lectureship he established the routine biobanking of samples from patients undergoing surgical lung biopsy for the investigation of fibrotic interstitial lung disease, forming a longitudinal cohort of patients which supported the establishment of the Southampton Lung Fibrosis Group, a multidisciplinary group of investigators studying determinants of progressive fibrotic lung diseases with the aims of developing novel approaches to disease classification, prognostic stratification, and treatment.
Qualifications
- BSc (Hons), Biomedical Sciences, University of Southampton 2005
- BM (Hons), Medicine, University of Southampton 2006
- M.R.C.P., UK 2009
- PhD, University of Southampton, 2016
Appointments Held
- Academic Foundation Trainee, University Hospitals Southampton (2006-2008)
- Core Medical Trainee, Wessex Deanery (2008-2010)
- NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Respiratory Medicine, Wessex Deanery & University of Southampton (2010-2013)
- Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Training Fellow, University of Southampton (2013-2016)
- NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine, University of Southampton & University Hospitals Southampton (2017-2019)
- Associate Professor in Respiratory Medicine, University of Southampton (2019-2023)
- Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician & ILD Clinical Lead, University Hospitals Southampton (2019-present)
- Professor of Respiratory Medicine, University of Southampton (2023-present)
Prizes
- Scientific Merit Award (2018)