Alex Johnson

Alex Johnson serves as an Associate Professor across three interdisciplinary programs at Michigan State University's College of Natural Science: the Neuroscience Program, Cell & Molecular Biology Program, and BioMolecular Science Gateway.

Dr. Johnson's research centers on uncovering neuronal mechanisms of learning and motivation through sophisticated behavioral neuroscience approaches. His current projects investigate how learning modulates food intake and procurement, the transition to habitual behavior in addiction, and endophenotypes of mental illness using animal models. He employs complex appetitive behavioral procedures grounded in contemporary learning theory, combined with optogenetics, pharmacological inactivation, functional anatomical techniques, and immediate early gene markers for circuit-level behavioral analyses. His work extends to translational studies of human learning and decision-making processes.

Analysis of Dr. Johnson's 15 most recent publications (2021-2025) reveals dominant research themes in addiction neurobiology, hormonal regulation of eating disorders, and decision-making circuitry. Key patterns include dopamine pathway investigations (particularly mesolimbic circuits in cocaine-seeking behavior), ovarian hormone effects on binge eating across developmental stages, and neural mechanisms of reality testing using animal models of psychosis. His work consistently integrates hormonal, genetic, and environmental variables in rodent models.

Dr. Johnson leads the AWJ Lab (accessible at https://www.awjlab.com/), which specializes in advanced behavioral circuit analyses using optogenetic, pharmacological, and neuroanatomical techniques to study the intersection of learning, motivation, and mental health disorders.