Gary L. Johnson

Gary L. Johnson, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and a member of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research focuses on signal transduction mechanisms, particularly MAP kinase pathways, and their roles in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and auto-immunity.

Research Focus: Dr. Johnson's laboratory investigates spatial and temporal control of signal relay systems governing cell responses to stimuli. Key areas include:

• MAPK pathway regulation of gene expression, cell growth, and apoptosis
• Kinase scaffold proteins (e.g., OSM scaffold for MEKK3-MKK3 complex)
• Live-cell imaging of signaling dynamics using FRET technology
• Genetic models (knockout/knockin) to define kinase functions

Awards & Honors:

• Kenan Distinguished Professorship (emeritus status)

Laboratory: The Johnson Lab employs biochemical, genetic, and imaging approaches to study kinase networks. Recent work identifies therapeutic vulnerabilities in pancreatic cancer through kinome profiling and explores adaptive chromatin remodeling in response to kinase inhibition.