Assistant Investigator Neurology, Mass General Research Institute

Assistant Professor of Neurology Harvard Medical School

african americans; alzheimer's disease; clinical research; clinical trials; cognitive neuroscience; health disparities; patient recruitment for research; selection bias

Jonathan Jackson, PhD, is the founding director of the Community Access, Recruitment, and Engagement (CARE) Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, which investigates the impact of diversity and inclusion on the quality of human subjects research and leverages deep community entrenchment to build trust and overcome barriers to clinical trial participation.

His research focuses on midlife and late-life health disparities in clinical settings that affect Black populations. Dr. Jackson also works as a cognitive neuroscientist, investigating the early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD), particularly in the absence of overt memory problems. He serves on Massachusetts General Hospital's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) and Mass General's Cancer Center Equity Program, specializing in identifying and overcoming barriers to clinical research for people and communities of color.

He has become a well-known Mass General representative to communities of color and dozens of affiliated organizations, particularly regarding clinical research. Dr. Jackson serves on the leadership team of several organizations focused on community health, as well as local, statewide, and national advisory groups for research recruitment, Alzheimer's disease, and community engagement.