Member SpotlightsStriving for Excellence in Research and Administration Alfred Johnson, Ph.D. A Member Since June 2003  While most scientists struggle to manage their combined research and administrative responsibilities, Alfred Johnson, Ph.D. has embraced both these pursuits by working two full-time jobs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He currently serves as the Deputy Director in the Office of Loan Repayment and Scholarship AND as an Investigator in the Molecular Biology Section of the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Johnson’s longstanding interest in science was further cultivated during his undergraduate years at Albany State College (now Albany State University) in Georgia where he carried out laboratory research. His analytical skills were sharpened by his participation in summer research programs at both Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. After being awarded a National Science Foundation graduate fellowship, Dr. Johnson enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Tennessee. His thesis project involved examining the hormonal control mechanism of developmentally regulated genes using rat liver enzymes. Upon earning a Doctorate in Biomedical Sciences, Dr. Johnson came to the National Cancer Institute as an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow. He was interested in applying his knowledge of gene regulation to a disease system, and cancer was especially intriguing to him. Dr. Johnson’s research focus involves the dual role of growth factor receptors in promoting the proliferation of normal cells and signaling the aberrant growth of many types of human tumors. His lab studies the regulation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, which is mutated and/or overexpressed in many human carcinomas including breast, gastric, ovarian, non-small cell lung, head and neck, and prostate. Activation of the EGF receptor signaling pathway has many effects including increased proliferation and angiogenesis and decreased apoptosis. High-levels of EGF receptor expression has been associated with advanced tumor stage, resistance to standard therapies (hormonal therapy, chemotherapy and radiation) and, in some tumors, with poor patient prognosis. Dr. Johnson’s research objectives are to identify and characterize transcription factors that regulate the expression of the EGF receptor gene in cancer cells and to determine if changes in transcription factor expression leads to increased EGF receptor gene expression. Additionally, his lab hopes to understand how GC-binding factor 2 (GCF2), a repressor of EGF receptor expression, decreases the activity of cellular and viral promoters. In addition to leading a research program, Dr. Johnson has been active in science education programs sponsored by the NIH. He has involved himself in NIH outreach programs that target elementary, middle and high schools, especially those that involve students from disadvantaged backgrounds. He has also trained and mentored many summer and semester undergraduate students in his laboratory as well as post-baccalaureate students and postdoctoral fellows. For his outreach efforts, Dr. Johnson has received three NIH Directors' Award for science education activities including one for mentoring. In 1998, Dr. Johnson was invited to serve on the advisory committee for the Undergraduate Scholarship Program and two years later, was appointed the Director of that program. In 2001 he began to assist in management of the NIH Loan Repayment Programs, which led to his assuming the Deputy Director position in the Office of Loan Repayment and Scholarship in 2004. As a practicing scientist, Dr. Johnson sees himself as a compelling role model for the students that come to conduct research at the NIH. He hopes that he inspires them to work hard to realize their dreams of becoming scientists. When not motivating young researchers, Dr. Johnson is encouraging his son’s soccer team, which he coaches, to another winning season. He also enjoys playing in recreational softball leagues and traveling. ### << Previous Next >> [ View All Member Spotlights ] |
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