Jane Isaacs Lowe, Ph.D., is a senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and team director for the Vulnerable Populations Portfolio, which creates immediate and lasting change in the health of society’s most vulnerable people by addressing their health within the context of social factors. In this role, Lowe promotes initiatives that take a fresh approach to a long-standing problem, work to address poor health status in the context of other factors such as housing, education, and poverty, and make fundamental changes in the way services are delivered. She observes that the Vulnerable Populations Team “works at the intersection of health and social problems, thinking holistically about what can be done to create successful, lasting programs.” She views the team’s role as one of catalyzing new ways of addressing urgent social issues such as preventing youth violence, providing options for long-term care, assisting immigrants and refugees, and ensuring services for those with severe mental illness.

Drawn to the Foundation by its “ability to be able to make a difference in people’s health outcomes,” Lowe also oversees grants in the areas of community health, mental health, and long-term care. 

Lowe came to the Foundation from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work where she served as member of the faculty from 1989 through 1998, publishing and teaching in the areas of health practice, administration and planning.  She was the recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Award in 1992 and 1997.  From 1976–1989, she worked at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City where she served as a faculty member in the medical school’s Department of Community Medicine and as a hospital social work administrator. She views her experience as a clinical social worker with seriously ill individuals and their families as a unique experience that gave her greater insight into the human spirit and reinforced her passion for making a difference in health and health care.

Lowe is a current fellow at the New York Academy of Medicine, and board member of Grantmakers in Aging. She earned a doctorate in social welfare policy and planning from Rutgers University, a master’s in social work from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology and education from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa.

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