Keith R. Johnson

Keith R. Johnson, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Oral Biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's College of Dentistry. His research focuses on cadherin and catenin regulation in tumorigenesis, particularly in oral squamous cell carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. He has held continuous NIH funding since 1994, including grants exploring cadherin roles in tumor metastasis and cell signaling.

Education includes a BA and BEd from the University of Minnesota, followed by a PhD in Cell Biology from the same institution. His laboratory investigates mechanisms by which N-cadherin expression disrupts E-cadherin function, leading to invasive cancer phenotypes. Key projects include studying collagen-I-driven N-cadherin upregulation and the role of cadherins in gap junction assembly.

He has authored over 80 peer-reviewed articles, including high-impact studies in Journal of Biological Chemistry and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. His work bridges basic cell biology with clinical applications in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Current efforts focus on metabolic pathways in pancreatic cancer and cadherin-catenin signaling dynamics.

Grant activities include leading NIH-funded projects (R01 DE12308) and collaborative grants like the Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment Network (U54 CA163120). His research has pioneered understanding of epithelial-mesenchymal transition mechanisms and cadherin-mediated metastasis.