��������

John A. Griswold, MD, FACS

John A. Griswold, MD, FACS  Born and raised in Casper Wyoming, John Griswold obtained a Bachelor of Science from the University of Notre Dame then attended Creighton University for medical school, graduating in 1981. He subsequently completed a five-year general surgery residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.  Upon completion, he went to the University of Washington for a fellowship in burn research and burn clinical care.

At the University of Washington, his burn research was done in the Trauma Inflammation in the lab of Dr. Ron Meyer.  Dr. Griswold developed a working murine model of ARDS and acute lung injury and studied neutrophil dysfunction, which led to defining the microbiology behind the cause of ARDS.

After completing the burn fellowship, he joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi, Department of Surgery in the Division of Burns, Trauma and Critical Care. At the University of Mississippi, he set-up a busy basic science lab continuing to investigate pulmonary dysfunction and inflammation. He also began several clinical projects both investigator-initiated as well as industry sponsored. 

In 1992 Dr. Griswold was recruited back to Texas Tech University Health Sciences to begin the Level 1 Trauma Center and revamp the Burn Center. Both of these responsibilities demanded basic, clinical and translational research activities. In the area basic research Dr. Griswold began collaborating with Dr. Abdul Hamood in the Dept. of Microbiology, focusing on the pathophysiology of Pseudomonas in burn injury. Dr. Jane Colmer-Hamood later joined the two and the result has been 27-years of extremely successful collaboration, numerous grants, hundreds of peer-review publications including publications in JAMA and SCIENCE. This association also provided the foundation for training an extensive list of master students and PhD candidates. One of the highlights of this educational process was having the opportunity to work with Kendra Rumbaugh during her PhD, a collaboration that has been incredibly fruitful and fulfilling.

In June 1997 Dr. Griswold took over the reins of the Department of Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. “I inherited a department of 6 faculty, none who had any training or experience in research.  There were no active research projects other than those associated with the burn and trauma centers and most importantly there was no money to fund research. So I convinced two young, very bright nurses who worked in the SICU, Cathy Lovett and Stacey Pugh, to join me in developing a Division of Clinical Research in the Dept. of Surgery. We began the process with complex industry-sponsored clinical trials in the ICU that was a resounding success.  This led to Dr. Griswold being named Scientist of the Year in 2000, by the ARCS Foundation.  Over the next several years the clinical research grew in quantity, quality and financially. The clinical research division was then transitioned to the School of Medicine as the Division of Clinical Research. It eventually landed under the Office of President as the CRI, supporting research throughout the HSC.”

Dr. Griswold is honored to back working within the CRI.

Jennifer (Jenna) Kesey, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE

Jennifer (Jenna) Kesey, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE  serves as the Managing Director of the Clinical Research Institute (CRI) at ��������. In this role, she oversees diverse aspects of clinical research, including the daily operations of the department, the development and delivery of educational programs, budget planning and negotiations, and the advancement of clinical research infrastructure for �������� and its affiliated hospital.

Dr. Kesey earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Texas Woman’s University in 2002 and began her career as a registered nurse in the Trauma-Surgical Intensive Care Unit at UMC Hospital. She subsequently completed her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at ��������, becoming a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) in 2008. In 2009, she joined the Burn Center as a full-time Advanced Practice Provider, where she worked closely with Dr. Griswold and developed a strong interest in clinical research.

Her research journey formally began in 2013 when she co-authored her first publication with the Burn Critical Care team. This experience solidified her commitment to clinical research, leading her to pursue a PhD in Nursing Science in 2018 while continuing her clinical practice as an FNP. Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, Dr. Kesey successfully completed her PhD in 2021, transitioning into a career as a Nurse Scientist.

Following graduation, Dr. Kesey joined the faculty of the �������� School of Nursing’s graduate program and continued as a faculty associate within the �������� School of Medicine. Her expertise in clinical practice, academia, technology, and research ultimately led to her appointment as Managing Director of the Clinical Research Institute, where she collaborates once again with Dr. Griswold.

"As Managing Director of the CRI, I am committed to supporting, promoting, coordinating, and facilitating research initiatives for faculty, trainees, and students across ��������’s six schools. Educating and mentoring the next generation of scientists is a cornerstone of our institution and the CRI. My experiences across clinical practice, academia, technology, and research have uniquely positioned me to drive innovation and advance patient care through research."