Jennifer M. Jabson Tree, MPH, PhD

Associate Professor and PhD Program Director

Biography

Jennifer M. Jabson Tree, PhD, MPH (she/her/hers) earned her MPH (2006) and PhD (2010) at Oregon State University College of Public Health and Human Sciences.  After completing her doctoral training, she was awarded a competitive fellowship grant by the American Cancer Society for three years of focused training and research in cancer control and prevention, for vulnerable populations, at Boston University School of Public Health.  She joined the University of Tennessee Department of Public Health faculty in 2013. 

Her main goal is to apply anti-oppression principles to improve health inequity and address health disparities among medically underserved groups. This vision involves the development and implementation of innovative, multilevel, prevention interventions that extend beyond exclusive focus on the individual, to a focus on healthcare systems, communities, and the contextual systems within which individuals exist.

Dr. Jabson Tree is currently funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part of their Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program. Together with her colleagues, the project addresses institutional racism at multiple levels of healthcare systems in order to improve access to care, healthcare outcomes, and health equity for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color.  She also works with regional and local healthcare systems and health departments to improve healthcare to become affirming and competent for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer patients and clients. 

Dr. Jabson Tree teaches courses in the MPH and Public Health Sciences PhD programs including Health and Society (PH555), Program Evaluation (PH537), and Dissemination and Implementation Science (PH650).  In her courses she teaches students the ways in which social structures—economic stability, neighborhood and built environment, education, social and community context, and access to healthcare—cause and influence health systems, health, and disease. In her courses students and evaluate how social determinants intersect with systems of privilege and oppression, including racism, classism, ableism, heterosexism, sexism, and cis-sexism, which also shape and influence health and disease.

She also leads “JabsLabs”,  a public health research lab that provides a multi-level training environment in which she provides students/trainees direct, personalized, weekly, one-on-one and group, supervision and mentoring. In addition, as student skills become advanced, they provide one another peer-mentoring to accomplish research tasks and practice where students learn how to give and receive supervision and mentoring. The ultimate goal of JabsLabs is for students to gain experience and expertise in research aimed at solving public health problems and advancing the health of marginalized populations.

Dr. Jabson Tree is also the Director of the PhD program in Public Health Sciences.  If you have questions about doctoral training or applying to the PhD program, you can contact her at your convenience.

In her free time, she loves to play with her giant golden retriever, Wesley, tiny Chihuahua, Timone, and mid-size miniature dachshund Rudy. She also loves to cook big for friends, run, dance, lift weights, do yoga, and travel with her partner.

Curriculum Vitae

Publications

Jabson, J.M., Donatelle, R.J., Bowen, D. (2010). Breast cancer survivorship: the role of perceived discrimination and sexual orientation, Journal of Cancer Survivorshi, online first, 10.1007/s11764-010-0161-7.

Jabson, J.M., Donatelle, R.J., Bowen, D.J. (2011). The influence of sexual orientation in female breast cancer survivors quality of life, Journal of Women?s Health, 20, 12, 1819-1824.

Jabson, J.M., Blosnich, J. (2012). Representation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual People in Cancer Clinical Trials, Annals of Epidemiology, 22, 821-823.

Jabson, J.M., Bowen, D.J. (2013). Cancer Treatment Summaries and Follow-up Care Instructions: Which Cancer Survivors are Receiving Them?, Cancer Causes and Control, 24(5):861-71.

Jabson, J.M., Bowen, D.J. (in press). Stress and sexual orientation among breast cancer survivors, Journal of Homosexuality, [accepted October, 2012]

Demark-Wahnefried, W., Bowen, D., Jabson, J.M., Paskett, E.D. (2011). Scientific bias arising from sampling, selective recruitment, and attrition: the case for improved reporting, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 20(3), 415-8.

Farmer, G.W., Jabson, J.M., Bucholz, K.K., Bowen, D. (in press). A population-based study of cardiovascular disease risk in sexual minority women, American Journal of Public Health, [accepted January, 2013]