Amy Wagoner Johnson

Amy Wagoner Johnson is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with secondary appointments in Mechanical Science and Engineering. She leads the Applied Biomaterials and Biomechanics Lab (ABBL), conducting interdisciplinary research spanning bone tissue engineering, women's reproductive health, and coral reef restoration.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Materials Science from Brown University (2002)
• M.S. in Materials Science from Brown University (1998)
• B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from The Ohio State University (1996)

Professor Wagoner Johnson's research focuses on biomaterials and biomechanics, particularly:

• Developing multiscale bone scaffolds for trauma repair
• Investigating cervical biomechanics in pregnancy and preterm birth
• Creating coral settlement substrates for reef restoration
• Designing hydroxyapatite-based systems for stem cell delivery

Her work integrates materials science, mechanical engineering, and clinical medicine to address critical challenges in tissue regeneration.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals strong trends in translational biomaterials development, with increasing emphasis on women's health applications and marine ecosystem restoration. Her bone scaffold research has evolved toward multi-material systems with spatially graded architectures, while her reproductive health work increasingly employs advanced imaging techniques like second-harmonic generation microscopy.

Her scientific honors include:

• Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2021)
• Grainger College DEI Award (2022)
• Andersen Faculty Scholar (2020)
• Dean's Research Excellence Award (2018)

As an educator, she has received multiple teaching awards including the Society of Women Engineers Outstanding Engineering Educator Award (2020) and multiple 'Teachers Ranked as Excellent' recognitions. She serves as MechSE Pre-Med Advisor and actively mentors undergraduate researchers, receiving the Campus Award for Guiding Undergraduate Research (2013). Her lab has secured significant funding for projects including NSF's 'Collaborative Research: ECO-CBET' and NIH-supported work on preterm birth mechanisms.

The Applied Biomaterials and Biomechanics Lab maintains strong collaborations with veterinary medicine, surgery departments, and international partners including the NanoSciences Foundation in Grenoble, France. Current projects focus on developing tools to track inflammation in human tissue as Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago Investigators.