By: Nathan Anderson
For Chloe Jones, pursuing a career in clinical psychology has always been about combining research with meaningful patient care. Throughout her time at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she has done exactly that — building expertise in neuropsychology while helping patients and families navigate complex neurological and psychological conditions.
Jones is currently a graduate student in UAB’s Medical/Clinical Psychology PhD program, though her journey to Birmingham began far from Alabama. Having grown up between Tucson, AZ, and Bainbridge Island, WA, she later earned her
undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of San Francisco before working as a research assistant in a cognitive neuroscience lab at the University of Connecticut.
Today, Jones is completing her clinical internship in neuropsychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, the final step toward earning her Clinical Psychology PhD. Along the way, UAB also became the place where she built a life outside the classroom.
Jones’ interest in graduate school first developed during her undergraduate studies while working in a lab focused on mental health treatment for youth in foster care. Although research was not initially part of her career plans, she quickly discovered a passion for it.
“My mentor in that lab counseled me on the graduate school options available to me, and it was clear that a clinical psychology PhD offered the greatest flexibility and opportunity,” Jones said. “It allowed a student to both conduct research and treat and assess patients clinically.”
While searching for doctoral programs, Jones carefully reviewed clinical psychology programs across the country. UAB quickly stood out — particularly because of the opportunity to work with her future graduate supervisor, Dr. Jarred Younger.
“He was conducting the exact research I dreamed of doing,” she said, “neuroimaging of neuroinflammation and its role in chronic pain and fatigue.”
Jones said UAB’s strong clinical training opportunities also made the program especially appealing. As an R1 institution with access to UAB Hospital, Children’s of Alabama and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health system, she found opportunities to gain experience across a broad range of patient populations and clinical settings.
“The clinical program also holds a strong reputation in the field of clinical neuropsychology, which I concentrated in,” Jones said. “Additionally, as an R1 institution, I knew the research productivity, funding and collaboration would be plentiful.”
Among her most meaningful experiences at UAB was working with children and adolescents with Functional Neurological Disorders through Dr. Aaron Fobian’s Pediatric Somatic Symptom Disorders Treatment Clinic.
“This treatment program is transformational for the patients and families,” Jones said. “They often arrive at the clinic in severe distress with limited functioning, and graduate treatment with control of their symptoms and ability to return to the activities they love.”
Jones credits UAB with shaping her both professionally and personally.
“Deciding to attend UAB changed my entire life,” she said. “It brought me a community of friends and colleagues.”
She also emphasized the value of the collaborative culture she experienced throughout her training.
“The faculty and staff at UAB demonstrated multidisciplinary collaboration and consultation across departments and clinics,” Jones said. “The wide variety of clinical rotations and patient populations also meant that I gained significant breadth in my training, which made me a competitive candidate for a clinical internship.”
Her graduate journey also included significant research milestones. For her thesis project, Jones conducted a machine-learning analysis designed to identify patient subgroups within a large sample of patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Her dissertation research focused on Gulf War Veterans with chronic conditions, using MRI scans to examine evidence of neuroinflammation and neurological injury.
As she prepares to complete her internship at UCLA this June, Jones will soon begin a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology and research at the San Diego VA. Looking back on her time at UAB, Jones says she is especially grateful for the mentors and supervisors who helped guide her throughout the process.
“I am so grateful for my experience at UAB and all the supervisors and mentors along the way who have helped guide me through,” she said.
For new graduate students, Jones encourages taking full advantage of the opportunities available at UAB.
“Don’t be afraid to reach out to the faculty you’d like to work with or try to build clinical experiences tailored to your interests,” she said. “If you are new to Birmingham, there is likely more to explore than you’d expect.”