Eric Jones
Associate Professor
915/975-8528
MCA Medical Center of the Americas Foundation
5130 Gateway East Blvd. MCA 308
About
As a social epidemiologist, I conduct research on social aspects of wellbeing. A major focus of my studies is on human behavior and wellbeing in extreme circumstances (like disasters, warfare. Migration, cancer), focusing on the role of relationships in stress, depression, anxiety, and functioning. My broad interest in collective action and social support, often using social network analysis, has also led me recently to study health care coordination, drug and violence prevention coalitions, informal and formal science education, and interorganizational dynamics. I continue to be involved in creating and maintaining online and desktop social network analysis software Most of my research takes place in Mexico, Ecuador, and the United States. Major Research Programs * Comparative Disaster Recovery - Variation in how individuals and families recover from disasters (Ecuador, Mexico, US, involving over 10 disasters). * Hazards and Cultural Transformations - Variation in how leaders and their subjects have dealt with disasters in 98 societies around the world in the past 200 years, including sharing, land tenure, ideology, economics, politics, rules/restrictions, etc. * Cultural Models of Nature – Variation in the way different cultural groups understand their relationships to the biophysical environment and changes in weather affecting their food production (Ecuador, with colleague sites in 12+ other countries).
Center Affiliation
Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research
Research Interests
- Behavioral/Mental Health
- Border Health
- Cancer
- Epidemiology
- Global Health
- Health Equity
- Social Determinants of Health