Nicole Jones’ research interests are broadly race, place, and health. She is interested in how social context (e.g., segregated communities, environmentally hazardous spaces) is associated with the health outcomes of racial and ethnic minorities. Moreover, she is interested in other aspects of race and racism, such as racial identity, intermarriage, and structural racism.
In a recent publication in the journal Social Problems, Dr. Jones and a colleague examine public perceptions of physical and emotional suffering of correctional and non-correctional populations (i.e., correctional staff and residential community) exposed to an environmental hazard. They found that people are sensitive to environmental issues experienced by vulnerable populations; however, there are limits of public perception of suffering when certain demographic groups are considered.
Jones has also co-published with Dr. Benjamin Harrell (Trinity University Economics Department) and another colleague in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open examining health insurance coverage disparities among different- and same-sex couples. They found that the gap in health insurance coverage between same-sex and different-sex couples decreased but primarily for same-sex couples with employer-sponsored plans, top earners, and those who live in states that have expanded Medicaid.