Shawn C.T Jones

Shawn C.T Jones, Ph.D., serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, holding a tenure-track position within the Counseling Psychology program. His work centers on redefining narratives around risk and resilience for Black youth and families through rigorous investigation of race-related stressors and protective mechanisms.

His educational foundation includes:

• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2016)
• MHS from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (2010)

Dr. Jones employs mixed-methods approaches within cultural ecological frameworks to examine how racial discrimination impacts psychological wellbeing and how factors like racial identity, socialization, and Africentric worldviews foster resilience. His research uniquely focuses on mechanistic pathways—moving beyond documenting protective effects to uncovering how these processes operate within family systems. This strengths-based work directly informs clinical interventions for Black communities, emphasizing prevention and culturally responsive therapy.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2022-2023) reveals three dominant trajectories: (1) Racial socialization competency measurement and application, (2) Biracial identity development in family contexts, and (3) Novel intervention frameworks addressing systemic racism's mental health impacts. His work increasingly integrates dyadic and family-level analysis while expanding into graduate training equity.

His accolades include:

• NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities (2017-2019)
• NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2016-2018)
• Ford Foundation Fellowships (predoctoral 2012-2015; dissertation 2015-2016)

As a scientist-practitioner, Dr. Jones bridges research and clinical application through federal grant-funded projects. His work on the EMBRace intervention demonstrates direct translation of findings into community-based prevention programs. He actively contributes to diversifying clinical psychology through curriculum development and mentorship initiatives.

He directs the "Empowering Black Families to Embody Resilience" research lab, which develops and tests culturally grounded interventions addressing racism-related stress across developmental stages.