Cynthia Lance-Jones, PhD
- Assistant Dean for Medical Education
Dr. Lance-Jones graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz and then moved to Washington DC to work for the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. She went on to obtain a PhD in Evolution and Development at the University of Massachusetts and did a postdoc at Yale working on spinal cord development.
At the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Dr. Lance-Jones continued with research on spinal motoneuron development and developed a strong interest in teaching medical students and integrating basic and clinical in Pitt's first year medical school curriculum. Her individual teaching efforts focus on topics in embryology, cell biology, and neuroscience.
Dr. Lance-Jones currently serves as the course director for both Neuroscience and Prologue. As block director of the Foundations of Medicine Block, she oversees the design, implementation, and review of basic science courses taught in the first year.
As Assistant Dean for Medical Education, Dr. Lance-Jones works with students, course directors, and members of the curriculum committee to improve our curriculum and to assure fairness, clarity, and consistency in extant courses. She addresses student concerns and grade issues especially in the first and second years.