Jonathan L. Haines has built a career on asking bold questions—and designing the tools needed to answer them.
For more than four decades, his groundbreaking discoveries have advanced our understanding of complex human diseases, while his leadership and mentorship have helped shape the future of genetic medicine. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to science and scholarship, Case Western Reserve has named Haines a Distinguished University Professor—its highest faculty honor.
Haines is the Mary W. Sheldon, MD, Professor of Genomic Sciences and chair of the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the School of Medicine. He also serves as founding director of the Cleveland Institute for Computational Biology (CICB), a hub for biomedical innovation that integrates genetics, epidemiology and clinical research to solve major public health challenges.
From the earliest days of the genomic era, Haines has been a force in the field. In the late 1980s and early ’90s, he helped identify genetic variants involved in Huntington’s disease, tuberous sclerosis, and neurofibromatosis—work that clarified how different mutations can cause the same condition, a concept known as locus heterogeneity.
In 1993, Haines and colleagues made a discovery that transformed Alzheimer’s research: the common e4 variant of the APOE gene significantly increases the risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The following year, they showed that the e2 variant offers protection. Together, the findings revolutionized the study of complex genetic traits.
He has continued to drive the field forward, co-leading what was then the largest genome-wide association study of Alzheimer’s, with data from more than 94,000 individuals. His research has also led to key discoveries in age-related macular degeneration and multiple sclerosis, providing crucial insights for treatment and prevention.
Under Haines’ leadership, the CICB has developed the Safely Held Electronic Data (SHED) system to harness electronic health records, big data, and AI. SHED now supports more than 35 projects across the university, helping position CWRU as a national leader in translational informatics and research infrastructure.
“Dr. Haines is a pioneer in the field of human and medical genetics,” wrote Stan Gerson, dean of the School of Medicine, in nominating Haines for the honor. “He entered the field at a time when the tools for genetic analysis were nascent, and the human genome was largely uncharted territory. Undeterred by these challenges, his groundbreaking research rapidly led to significant discoveries in neuromuscular, neurodegenerative, and ocular diseases.”
Equally devoted to mentorship and education, Haines has guided more than 60 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and launched new graduate programs in public health and data science. His influence also extends well beyond campus: he is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, has served on numerous national advisory boards, and is author or co-author of more than 730 scientific publications cited over 118,000 times.
“Receiving this honor is deeply meaningful to me,” said Haines. “Not just as a personal milestone, but as recognition of the incredible teams and collaborators I’ve had the privilege to lead and learn from. Building knowledge is a collective pursuit—and I’ve always believed in creating spaces where others can thrive.”