Jessica L. Reynolds, PhD

Jessica Reynolds is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine and vice chair for faculty development at the Jacobs School. She was named associate dean for faculty affairs in 2025.

She joined the Jacobs School in 1998 as a teaching assistant and served in a number of leadership roles over the past two decades. She has served as vice chair for faculty development at the Jacobs School and associate director of workforce development at UB’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute since 2018.

Her work in nanomedicine, which includes developing nanotechnology and biological-based delivery vehicles targeting astrocytes, microglial cells and macrophages, has been groundbreaking. These cells play a prominent role in HIV and neuroAIDs pathogenesis and co-infections associated with HIV, such as tuberculosis (TB). Her laboratory has developed a new therapy that combines anti-TB drugs with the actions of the innate immune system to synergistically eradicate pathogens, potentially reducing drug dosage, treatment duration, dose-dependent toxicity and the emergence of drug resistance.

Reynolds earned her PhD in pathology from UB and completed several prestigious fellowships. She earned her bachelor's degree from Alfred University in 1998. Her contributions to research and education have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including the Distinguished Biomedical Alumna and Outstanding Mentorship in Research awards.