Department: School of Medicine

Dedicated, compassionate, enthusiastic, exceptional, organized and delightful are just a few adjectives used to describe Dr. Colleen Jackson-Cook, who began her career at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1986 as an Instructor in the Department of Genetics. By 2005, she had been promoted to Professor with Tenure in three departments: Pathology, Human Genetics and Obstetrics & Gynecology. Since that time, Dr Jackson-Cook has mentored more than 100 graduate students, medical residents and fellows, as well as junior faculty in her role as Program Director for the ACGME Laboratory Genetics and Genomics PhD Fellowship Training Program in the Departments of Pathology and Human & Molecular Genetics. She is a member of the SOM Graduate Education Program and a founding fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and a member of the Board of Directors for the Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics.

Hannah Wollenzein, PhD, a laboratory genetics and genomics fellow mentored by Dr. Jackson-Cook says Dr. Jackson-Cook is “one of the clearest lecturers” she ever had. She adds that Dr. Jackson-Cook “has creative ways of explaining complex genetics concepts … you can tell she cares that each student understands the material presented.” Elizabeth Barrie, PhD, FACMG, echoes these sentiments, explaining that whether she is working with a student one-on-one or addressing a lecture hall, Dr. Jackson-Cook “fosters an environment where learners feel both at ease and intellectually

challenged.” A former fellow mentee, Aida Catic, PhD, of ACL Laboratories in Illinois, notes that many of Dr. Jackson-Cook’s former trainees “have gone on to make significant contributions to the field, a testament to her effectiveness as an educator and mentor.” Simply put, her “influence extends well beyond the classroom and laboratory.” Dr. Jackson-Cook’s promotion of the professional development of women has shaped many careers.

Dr. Jackson-Cook’s devotion to education is evidenced by the multitude of teaching awards she has amassed over the years: Outstanding Teacher Award for the M1 Molecular Basis of Disease course (six times); Outstanding Teaching Award for Graduate Education, Department of Human Genetics (eight times); and Excellence in Teaching M1 students (14 times). A co-director of an introductory level graduate course in Human Genetics states, “The running joke among the instructors, based on fact, was who would finish as the students’ second highest rated instructor in this course” given that Dr. Jackson-Cook “was always ranked first.”

In addition to teaching and mentoring, Dr. Jackson-Cook served as manuscript reviewer for more than 22 journals/societies and has authored over 100 articles and chapters in high-caliber publications and peer reviewed journals. She is the principal investigator for two active R01 grants as well as co-investigator on additional grants totaling millions of dollars in funding, and she is continuously invited to participate in NIH study sections. In her letter of nomination for Dr. Jackson-Cook, Susan Roseff, MD, Professor and Interim Chair for the Department of Pathology, shares that Dr. Jackson-Cook is recognized nationally and internationally for her contributions to the clinical molecular cytogenetics field as well as for being a key leader in creating the International Mosaic Down Syndrome Society, a group for whom she has served as a scientific advisor for over 25 years. As summarized by Dr. Roseff, Dr. Jackson-Cook’s “friendly and unassuming nature makes it easy for those around her to consult her. Her ways are quiet yet firm, and her dedication and loyalty to her profession, students, mentees, family, and friends are real. She has a charm and a humble manner that befriends those around her. Her moral and ethical standards are of the highest caliber, and her compassion is genuine.”

Back to Listing