Eric Johannsen

Eric Johannsen is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, and a Program Member at the UW Carbone Cancer Center. His research focuses on the molecular biology of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), particularly its nuclear proteins and their roles in viral lifecycle and malignancy pathogenesis.

• Education:
  • BS, 1989, Chemical Engineering, Purdue University
  • MD, 1995, Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Postdoctoral Research, Harvard University

Research Interests center on EBV’s manipulation of host signaling pathways, including:

• Notch pathway mimicry by EBNA2 and EBNA3 proteins
• Regulation of B lymphocyte growth and survival
• EBV-driven immortalization mechanisms
• Lytic replication control via LF2 protein

Article Trends highlight EBV’s exploitation of cellular pathways for latency and oncogenesis, with recent work on host shutoff mechanisms, YAP/TAZ activation in epithelial cells, and multi-omic approaches to sex chromosome disorders.

Labs & Collaborations include the Johannsen Laboratory, which investigates EBV molecular pathogenesis, and collaborations with the UW Carbone Cancer Center.