Mount Girls Gone Viral

IN A SPRAWLING CLUTCH OF BUILDINGS, WHITE-COATED SCIENTISTS SCURRY FROM LAB TO LAB, PEER THROUGH MICROSCOPES AND CONSULT WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES. It is the age of COVID-19, and the work here has taken on added urgency. Variants are creeping across the country, and a rattled nation is divided over what to do about it. Lives are very much at stake.

Were this a movie, the facility might be embedded at the Pentagon or hidden in a deep underground bunker at an undisclosed location. But it’s not. The facility, the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), sits in the bright sunlight of Jefferson County, at a speck on the map called Jefferson, Arkansas, north of Pine Bluff.

And it’s here that two Mount Girls, Drs. Ellen Jones ’98 and Kelly Jones Mercer ’93, do their part to save the world through science.

“COVID-19 has been a game-changer,” Jones said. “As expected, it is a huge concern for us at the FDA/NCTR. Personally, it has been exciting to be a part of the FDA working on COVID-19, although it has been equally frustrating and challenging. I think we all can attest to feeling impatient with the speed of research at times like these.

“However, I also believe we have been fortunate with the progress at this point, and I am inspired daily by the continued work and commitment of the scientists involved.”

“During this pandemic, the FDA has been actively investigating COVID-19 to provide the U.S. with safe and effective treatments and mitigation strategies,” echoed Mercer. “I am proud of and inspired by my colleagues across the FDA and in academia who have achieved so much for the good of the people.”

Both scientists were turned on to their future careers early. Jones’ father was a physician, while Mercer’s interest was piqued by an Algebra II class — ironically, a subject she didn’t particularly like — while attending Mount St. Mary.

“I was not particularly fond of mathematics, but I did enjoy solving algebraic equations, and this love of solving problems logically started me down the path of science,” she said. “Later, following my sophomore year in college, I participated in a summer internship in research at UAMS, which solidified my love for benchwork. I really enjoyed planning and conducting experiments to test new ideas regarding biological mechanisms.”

Dr. Kelly Jones Mercer working in the tissue culture hood where she does cell work.

Dr. Ellen Jones putting a sample into the 7T FTICR mass spectrometer.

Drs. Ellen Jones (left) and Kelly Jones Mercer standing in front of a 7T FTICR mass spectrometer used for imaging studies.

Prior to the pandemic, Mercer was studying cancer biology, specifically developing a leukemia animal model to screen newly engineered immunotherapies. Discovering that cancer and COVID-19 patients shared a similar anti-inflammatory response, her work quickly shifted.

Jones also got her start in benchwork looking for a way to unravel the mysteries of cancer.

“The summer before my senior year in college, I met with one of the scientists in the department, Dr. Richard Drake,” she said. “He was about to move to Virginia and shift his research focus to incorporate innovative technologies in the hopes of identifying biomarkers indicative of diseases, such as cancer, at their earliest stages. His lab would be one of the earliest labs to adopt these approaches, which I found exciting.

“Once I started graduate school, working in his lab I could see firsthand how science could impact medicine to help others, and I was hooked.”

Jones and Mercer joined the NCTR in 2016 and 2020, respectively, and have shared the highs and lows that come with the territory in research.

I would tell girls to take their education seriously, that a strong work ethic established in high school serves you well later in life.

“In my career at this point, I am most proud of the imaging facility that we have built at NCTR,” Jones said. “I have worked in several labs around the country and had a lot of different scientific experiences, but this has been the most challenging, yet rewarding. It is a technology that is growing rapidly, and the work we have done in just five years at NCTR is very promising.

“Globally, the impact of COVID-19 has been devastating, of course. As a scientist, the misinformation has been alarming and emphasizes the importance of not only addressing the falsities head on but also in providing a better overall understanding of science to the community. Teaching the correct science is going to be pivotal.”

Mercer said she can draw a straight line between her time at the Mount and her successes, but more importantly, how the school taught her to rebound from setbacks.

“I ran for student body president, and this experience was completely out of my comfort zone at the time. I did not win,” she said. “Still, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to try something new and to fail. Both are common in life, and these types of experiences really prepare your mind and your heart for the larger stages in life.

“One of the most frustrating and humbling experiences for a scientist is to propose a hypothesis only to find that your hypothesis is not correct. However, these seemingly ‘failed’ experiments are very important in the scientific method. Not all proposed hypotheses can be correct; knowing this to be true, I carry on by using the knowledge gained to ask a better question.”

The scientists both agreed that the leadership development they experienced at Mount St. Mary was as vital to what they are doing now as the academic foundation they gained. In a career field where men soundly outnumber women, being able to speak up for oneself is a critical element of success.

“Doing work that could potentially benefit millions of people, it feels exciting,” Jones said. “At this stage in my career I don’t find it intimidating, per se; I find the pressure to succeed and excitement that it could be impactful supersedes all else.

“As far as the role of females, we can all see how far females have progressed in the workforce, in politics and in leadership positions. The possibilities are endless. I would tell girls in elementary school they can accomplish most anything with hard work and dedication. I’d also say don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t accomplish a dream or goal. No one knows what you are capable of but you.”

“I concur with Ellen, I would tell girls to take their education seriously, that a strong work ethic established in high school serves you well later in life,” Mercer said. “I would also tell them to be patient in times of trial; my career path had many twists and turns, and at times, it appeared my goals would not be attainable. But I did get there. As it turns out, the most difficult obstacles in life are what prepare you for where God has called you to serve.”