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Julie Johnson, PharmD

Dr. Samuel T and Lois Felts Mercer Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine

Director, Center for Clinical and Translational Science

Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology
Research Areas: The Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology
johnson.10587@osu.edu

Professional Interests

Dr. Johnson’s research is focused on understanding genetic and other sources of variability in drug response, building evidence to support translation of research to clinical practice, implementing genomic medicine in practice and documenting clinical outcomes associated with use of genomic medicine in practice. Her discovery research focuses primarily on cardiovascular drugs used in the treatment of hypertension and heart failure and used to prevent blood clots. Her pharmacogenetics implementation work is across a range of therapeutic areas and explores clinical trial approaches for documenting its impact on clinical outcomes. She’s also deeply committed to training the next generation of clinical and translational scientists.

Biography

Additional Positions:

  • Professor, Division of Outcomes and Translational Sciences, The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
  • Dr. Samuel T. Lois Felts Mercer Professorship of Medicine and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
  • Director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), The Ohio State University College of Medicine
  • Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
  • Associate Vice President of Research, The Ohio State University

A native Ohioan, Dr. Johnson earned her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from The Ohio State University, followed by her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She returned to Ohio State to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in pharmacokinetics/cardiovascular pharmacology.

From 1998 - 2023, Dr. Johnson served on the faculty at the University of Florida (UF), where she was a Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy and Medicine and became the first female dean of the College of Pharmacy, serving from 2013 to 2022. Under her leadership, the University of Florida College of Pharmacy grew its faculty by 90% and rose from No. 14 to No. 5 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of the best pharmacy colleges in the nation. The college’s annual research funding also increased from approximately No. 20 to No. 3 among the nation’s top colleges of pharmacy and saw the highest percentage of under-represented, minority students among professional degree programs at the University of Florida. At UF she also served as a department chair, Founding Director of the Center for Pharmacogenomics and Founding Director of the UF Health Precision Medicine Program. 

An internationally recognized leader in clinical pharmacology, pharmacogenomics and genomic medicine, Dr. Johnson has an extensive record of clinical and translational research, focusing on cardiovascular pharmacogenomics and the implementation of precision medicine approaches into clinical practice. She has a long record of funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and has secured approximately $55 million in research funding as a PI. She has written more than 330 peer-reviewed original research articles and was named Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher, an accomplishment held by just 1 in 1,000 scientists globally whose publications rank in the top 1% of citations in the previous decade.

Dr. Johnson also serves as the director of Ohio State’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science and is the principal investigator of a seven-year $37.9 million Clinical and Translation Science Award from the National Institutes of Health. 

Learn more about Dr. Johnson

Education

  • 1987-1989, Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pharmacokinetics/Clinical Pharmacology, The Ohio State University
  • 1994, PhD Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
  • 1985, BS Pharmacy, The Ohio State University

Honors

  • 2023, Coy W. Waller Distinguished Lecturer, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi
  • 2023, Mentoring Award, American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
  • 2022, University of Florida Presidential Award for Outstanding Service
  • 2022, Texas A&M University College of Pharmacy Commencement Speaker
  • 2022, Kremers Lecturer, University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy
  • 2021, Kremers Lecturer, University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy
  • 2021, Rawls Palmer Progress in Medicine Award, American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
  • 2020, American Association for the Advancement of Science, elected Fellow
  • 2019, American College of Clinical Pharmacy Paul Parker Medal recipient, for Distinguished Contributions to the Profession of Pharmacy
  • 2019, American College of Clinical Pharmacology Distinguished Investigator Award
  • 2019, Commencement speaker, University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy
  • 2019, Commencement speaker, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy
  • 2017 & 2018, Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Scientist in Cross Discipline
  • 2018, Charles M Gruber Distinguished Lecturer. Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College
  • 2018, Milap Nahata Distinguished Lecturer, The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
  • 2017, Varro E. Tyler Distinguished Lecturer, Purdue University College of Pharmacy
  • 2017, Leon Goldberg Endowed Lectureship, University of Chicago Department of Medicine
  • 2017, Grant Wilkinson Distinguished Lectureship, Vanderbilt University College of Medicine
  • 2015 & 2016, Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Scientist in Pharmacology and Toxicology
  • 2016, Volwiler Research Achievement Award, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
  • 2016, Commencement Speaker, University of California at San Diego School of Pharmacy
  • 2016, William B. Abrams Lectureship Award, American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics and The US Food and Drug Administration
  • 2015, Mentoring Award, Functional Genomics and Translational Biology Council of the American Heart Association
  • 2015, Southeastern Universities Research Association Distinguished Scientist Award
  • 2014, National Academy of Medicine (formerly Institute of Medicine) member
  • 2014, Gerhard Levy Distinguished Lectureship in Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, University of Buffalo
  • 2014, Honorary Fellow Award, American College of Clinical Pharmacology
  • 2013, University of North Carolina Institute for Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy Clinical Service Award
  • 2013-2015, University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship Award, University of Florida
  • 2013, The Sebok Pharmacy Lecture, Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University
  • 2010, Distinguished Investigator Award, American College of Clinical Pharmacy Cardiology Practice and Research Network
  • 2010, Russell Miller Award for Contribution to the Literature, American College of Clinical Pharmacy
  • 2010, Gutkey Memorial Lecture and Dean’s Convocation, University of Colorado School of Pharmacy
  • 2010, Loius C. Littlefield Research Excellence Day Plenary Speaker, University of Texas at Austin
  • 2010, Julius Koch Memorial Lecturer, University of Pittsburgh College of Pharmacy
  • 2009, Fellow, American Heart Association; Functional Genomics and Translational Biology Council
  • 2009, Therapeutic Frontiers Award, American College of Clinical Pharmacy
  • 2008, Robert G. Leonard Memorial Lecture Award, Texas Society of Health System Pharmacists and University of Texas at Austin
  • 2008, First Tennessee Chair of Excellence Visiting Professor, University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy
  • 2007, Paul Dawson Biotechnology Research Award, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
  • 2007, University of Florida Faculty Achievement Recognition Award
  • 2006, David E. Guttman Memorial Lecturer, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy
  • 2005, Ohio State University College of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumni Award
  • 2004-2013, V. Ravi Chandran Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, endowed professorship
  • 2004-2006, University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship Award
  • 2004, Leon I. Goldberg Young Investigator Award, American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
  • 2003, 31st Annual Albert Ebert Lecturer, University of Illinois-Chicago College of Pharmacy
  • 2003, Philip C. and Ethel R. Ashby Lecturer, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy
  • 2001, Outstanding Faculty of the Year, Working Professional Pharm.D. Program, University of Florida
  • 2000-2004, FDA Committee Appointee – Nonprescription Drug Advisory Committee
  • 2000-2003, Elected Officer (Regent) – American College of Clinical Pharmacy Board of Regents
  • 1997, The Ohio State University William Oxley Thompson Alumni Award
  • 1996, The Ohio State University William Oxley Thompson Alumni Award

Publications