Ragan N. Johnson

Ragan N. Johnson, DNP, MSN, APRN-BC, is an Assistant Professor at Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON), where she has served since July 1, 2017. Her roles include supporting DUSON's VA Nursing Academic Partnerships in Graduate Education Program, developing veteran-centric curricula for the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Master’s program, and collaborating on a VA residency program for newly certified NPs. She belongs to Division 2, Healthcare in Adult Populations.

Education:

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (Public Health Nursing emphasis), University of Tennessee Health Science Center
• MSN (Family Nurse Practitioner), University of Tennessee Health Science Center
• BSN, Tennessee State University

Research Interests: Dr. Johnson focuses on sexual health promotion for youth/young adults, health disparities, and HIV prevention. Her work includes community-partnered interventions, such as salon-based PrEP education for Black women, and addressing racial discrimination in healthcare. She founded the nonprofit Imagine Me to advance sexual health education for marginalized populations.

Scientific Contributions: Her recent publications (2023–2025) emphasize HIV prevention strategies like PrEP, weight bias reduction in reproductive care, adaptive leadership frameworks, and community-engaged interventions leveraging social networks (e.g., beauty salons) to improve health equity for Black women in the U.S. South.