John Andrew Jones, Ph.D.

J. Andrew Jones is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering at Miami University. Prior to joining Miami, Dr. Jones spent 1 year as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Hamilton College (Clinton, NY). Dr. Jones completed his Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY) and his M.S. in Environmental Engineering and B.S. in general engineering with specialization in Biomedical Engineering from Mercer University (Macon, GA).

Dr. Jones joined Miami in the Fall of 2017. His research focuses on genetic engineering of microorganisms for high-value chemical production. Using traditional and high-throughput molecular biology and biochemistry techniques, Dr. Jones takes a fine-tuned approach towards rewiring cellular metabolism of bacteria for more efficient chemical production.

Dr. Jones’ research has been highlighted on National Public Radio, Chemical & Engineering News, Vice News, High Times, and Scientific American. Additionally, he has been selected for multiple awards including: AIChE’s 35Under35 – Bioengineering (2020), Miami University’s Junior Faculty Scholar Award (2021), Miami’s Associated Student Government – Outstanding Professor Award Nominee (2021, 2022, 2024), Ohio Faculty Council’s Technology Commercialization Award (2022), and Miami’s College of Engineering and Computing - Outstanding Faculty Research Award (2023). Dr. Jones has published over 30 peer-reviewed publications in top journals and has been cited over 2900 times since 2014. Dr. Jones is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the National Academy of Inventors.

Psychedelic Diaries Podcast

Dr. Jones discusses his discovery of a groundbreaking way to synthesize psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms), the "recreational" debate, and his latest paper on home-brewing on the Psychedelic Diaries Podcast.

Check out the video podcast, or listen to the audio on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

Miami’s Focus on the Future

Dr. Jones speaks on the value of a University-Industry Collaboration.