Amy Johnson

Amy Johnson is the James R. and Helen Lee Billingsley Professor of Marine Biology at Bowdoin College's Department of Biology, currently on leave for the 2024–2025 academic year. She teaches Introductory Biology, Biology of Marine Organisms, Biomechanics, and Evolution of Marine Invertebrates.

Her research examines biomechanics, functional morphology, and ecophysiology of marine organisms. Key interests include: biomechanical modeling of sea urchin growth patterns, metabolic rate scaling, and underwater legged locomotion mechanics—particularly in sea stars. Her lab employs fluorochrome marking techniques for growth studies and analyzes cardiac muscle functions in crustaceans.

Recent publications document sea star locomotion kinematics, marine-inspired robotic movement, and neural plasticity in crickets. Research has been featured in Science News for studies on sea star 'bouncing gait' biomechanics.