Gail V. Johnson

Gail V. Johnson, Ph.D. is a Professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, with appointments in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and as a joint member of the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology. Her research focuses on Alzheimer's disease and central nervous system injury, employing a multidisciplinary approach from molecular assays to animal models. Key areas include tau pathology, transglutaminase 2 (TG2) function, and mitochondrial quality control.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Physiology, University of Delaware (1984)
• M.S. in Entomology, University of Massachusetts (1978)
• B.A. in Biology, Southampton College (1976)

Her research interests center on:

• Understanding how tau protein dysregulation leads to neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease.
• Investigating the cell-type-specific roles of TG2 in neuronal and astrocytic survival post-injury.
• Exploring mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegeneration and its link to tau pathology.
• Developing therapeutic strategies targeting TG2 inhibitors for CNS injuries.
• Studying autophagy-lysosome pathways in protein clearance.

Recent research trends from her publications highlight:

• Tau-aggregation and its impact on mitochondrial bioenergetics.
• TG2 as a double-edged sword—neuroprotective in neurons but detrimental in astrocytes.
• Epigenetic and pharmacological interventions to enhance tau clearance.
• Crosstalk between BAG3, Nrf2, and autophagy in neuroprotection.

Scientific Awards and Grants:

• Ruth K. Broad Biomedical Research Foundation Awardee (1994-1996)
• Ciba Foundation Fellow Sponsor (1992)
• NIH First Award (1989-1994)

Laboratory and Collaborations: Dr. Johnson's lab integrates in vitro and in vivo models to study molecular mechanisms, with recent work on Spinal Cord Injury and Alzheimer's disease models. Collaborations span biochemistry, neuropharmacology, and epigenetics to translate molecular insights into therapeutic strategies.