M. Brittany Johnson

M. Brittany Johnson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, leading the Johnson Lab focused on host-pathogen interactions in bacterial meningitis and osteomyelitis. Her research investigates immune responses to pathogens like Neisseria meningitidis and Staphylococcus aureus, with emphasis on therapeutic development using nucleic acid nanoparticles.

Her primary research interests include:

• Host-pathogen dynamics in CNS infections and bone diseases
• RIG-I-mediated interferon responses during bacterial CNS infections
• Cytokine-driven bacterial gene expression changes in meningitis
• Bone remodeling disruption during S. aureus osteomyelitis
• Immunomodulatory nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) as therapeutics
• Neurokinin-1 receptor interactions in inflammatory responses

Recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward nanomedicine applications for infectious diseases, with 60% of 2023-2025 articles exploring nucleic acid nanoparticles for immunomodulation. Her work bridges microbiology, immunology, and nanotechnology to develop interventions targeting both host immune responses and pathogen behavior. Collaborations with Dr. Kirill Afonin's laboratory have been instrumental in advancing NANP therapeutics.

The Johnson Lab maintains three active projects: (1) RIG-I as a therapeutic target for bacterial CNS infection using synthetic agonists, (2) Host cytokine effects on N. meningitidis gene expression during meningitis, and (3) S. aureus-bone cell interactions in osteomyelitis. These projects employ murine osteoblast/osteoclast models, microglial cell studies, and advanced nanoparticle engineering to identify critical intervention points for life-threatening infections.