As the first African American to complete a post-doctoral fellowship at the center, Dr. Johnson spent her time conducting clinical research on the behavioral and genetic correlates of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to her clinical duties at Bryan ADRC, Dr. Johnson developed a unique research program, which explored the role of depression and environmental stress in African American’s diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
The program was developed to improve clinical diagnosis and increase access to mental health care in elderly African Americans. After the completion of her fellowship, Dr. Johnson went on to join the medical faculty at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institution in the Department of Neurology. While at Johns Hopkins, she broadened the scope of her research to include the exploration of the physiological effects of stress on the development of Alzheimer’s disease in ethnic minority populations. Dr. Johnson also continued to provide differential diagnosis to patients in the Cortical Laboratory at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Prior to her fellowship at Duke University Medical Center, Dr. Johnson worked on a number of distinctive clinical research projects related to Alzheimer’s disease. She was the recipient of a pre-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health and has extensive experience working with diverse patient populations including stroke, traumatic brain injured, and autism. Dr. Johnson is also the recipient of numerous awards including “Most Promising Scientist , 2004” and Trailblazing Scientist for 2005 and 2006.
Passionate in her quest to advocate on behalf of women and ethnic minorities affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, she established the International Dementia Research Foundation whose mission is to fund clinical research, training grants and fellowships, and provide community education programs about the disease. The International Dementia Research Foundation was launched in 2005 and continues to provide support and resources to individuals plagued by this debilitating illness. Dr. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hampton University, a master’s degree in experimental neuropsychology from Howard University, and a doctorate in cognitive neuroscience at the Catholic University of America. |
