Education

• B.S. : Biology, Gannon University, 1974-1977
• M.D. : University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 1977-1981
• Internship and Residency : Internal Medicine, Vanderbilt University, 1981-1985
• Fellowship : Pulmonary Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, 1985-1987

Research Interests

Dr. Johnson's research interests have focused on phase I, II, and III IND and non-IND clinical trials of new drugs, immunotherapeutic agents and vaccines for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis. Other areas of interest include HIV and TB interactions, immunopathogenesis of M. avium complex disease and tuberculosis, TB diagnostics, tuberculosis, HIV vaccines, surrogate markers of response to TB treatment, pulmonary infections in immunocompromised persons, and research capacity strengthening in developing countries. Dr. Johnson is the component leader for clinical trials for the NIH-sponsored Tuberculosis Research Unit at CWRU and the Principal Investigator for tuberculosis clinical trials for Site 30 Kampala, Uganda of the CDC-sponsored Tuberculosis Trials Consortium (TBTC) network.

Selected References

• Bark CM, Thiel BA, Johnson JL. Pretreatment time to detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in liquid culture is associated with relapse after therapy. J Clin Microbiol. 2012 Feb;50(2):538.
• Mahapatra S, Woolhiser LK, Lenaerts AJ, Johnson JL, Eisenach KD, Joloba ML, Boom WH, Belisle JT. A novel metabolite of antituberculosis therapy demonstrates host activation of isoniazid and formation of the isoniazid-NAD+ adduct. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2012 Jan;56(1):28-35.
• Nahid P, Saukkonen J, Mac Kenzie WR, Johnson JL, Phillips PP, Andersen J, Bliven-Sizemore E, Belisle JT, Boom WH, Luetkemeyer A, Campbell TB, Eisenach KD, Hafner R, Lennox JL, Makhene M, Swindells S, Villarino ME, Weiner M, Benson C, Burman W; National Institutes of Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC/NIH Workshop. Tuberculosis biomarker and surrogate endpoint research roadmap. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011 Oct 15;184(8):972-9.
• Peres RL, Palaci M, Loureiro RB, Dietze R, Johnson JL, Golub JE, Ruffino-Netto A, Maciel EL. Evaluation of oral antiseptic rinsing before sputum collection to reduce contamination of mycobacterial cultures. J Clin Microbiol. 2011 Aug;49(8):3058-60. Epub 2011 Jun 15.
• Mac Kenzie WR, Heilig CM, Bozeman L, Johnson JL, Muzanye G, Dunbar D, Jost KC Jr, Diem L, Metchock B, Eisenach K, Dorman S, Goldberg S. Geographic differences in time to culture conversion in liquid media: Tuberculosis Trials Consortium study 28. Culture conversion is delayed in Africa. PLoS One. 2011 Apr 11;6(4):e18358.