Dr. Chonnettia Jones always had a curious mind. Growing up, the natural world of plants and animals and their evolution enchanted her. That early curiosity led her to pursue research in developmental biology, and the eventual realization that science creates knowledge that improves human health.

As VP Research at MSFHR, she has seen first hand how the emergency response to COVID-19 has significantly impacted health researchers in British Columbia. She is helping MSFHR lead the way in supporting the province’s health research system during (and after) COVID-19, and what it will take for a responsive and responsible funder to continue providing researchers the tools, resources and infrastructure they need to do what they do best: develop the knowledge we need to stay healthy and save lives.

During her presentation, Dr. Jones will shine the light on MSFHR’s learnings during the pandemic as BC’s health research funding agency and its response, her own insights from her extensive career in research, health policy, and funding, and the systemic inequities throughout the research enterprise that were exacerbated during the pandemic and need to be urgently addressed to ensure all researchers can flourish in the future.