Thomas E. Johnson Thomas E. Johnson, Ph.D. Department of Integrative Physiology Institute for Behavorial Genetics University of Colorado Boulder, CO 80309-0447 phone: 303-492-0279 fax: 303-492-8063 e-mail: johnsont@colorado.edu

Research Interests

• The study of aging using the mouse and the worm Caenorhabditis elegans as models.


• Mouse model of fetal alcohol syndrome.


• Molecular Behavioral Genetics. See my IBG laboratory page (updated more frequently) or my IPHY laboratory page (less so).


• Graduate training opportunities at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics

Education

• 1966-1970, B. Sc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology


• 1970-1975, Ph.D., University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Professional Experience

• 1975-1977, Research Associate, Cornell University


• 1977-1982, Research Associate, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.


• 1981-1982, Fellow, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.


• 1982-1988, Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA.


• 1988-1996, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, and Fellow, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.


• 1996-2004, Professor, Department of Psychology, and Fellow, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.


• 2004-Present, Professor, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder.

Honors and Awards

• 1986, Fellow, American Federation for Aging Research


• 1986, Fellow, Gerontological Society of America


• 1990, 2000, Elected Member of the Board of Directors for the American Aging Association


• 1990, Elected Chair, Biological Sciences Section, Gerontological Society of America


• 1993, Busse Research Award for Biomedical Gerontology, International Association for Gerontolovy


• 1994, 1997, Elected Chair, Gordon Conference on the Biology of Aging


• 1995, Nathan Shock Memorial Lecture, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging


• 1998, Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar


• 2000, Elected to the Board of Directors for the American Aging Association


• 2002, Co-Recipient of Sam Goldstein Award for best paper published in the Journal of Gerontology, Biological Sciences during 2001-2002


• 2002, Recipient of Robert W. Kleemeier Award, Gerontological Society of America


• 2003, Appointed to Cellular Mechanisms in Aging and Development (CMAD) Study Section, Biology of Development and Aging Integrated Review Group


• 2004, Co-Recipient with Research Associate Brad Rikke, Sam Goldstein Award for the best paper published in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences during 2003-2004


• 2006, Elected President of American Aging Association


• 2008, Editor-in-Chief, Experimental Gerontology


• 2009, Recipient of Schober Prize, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany

Recent Publications

• Bennett B, Carosone-Link P, Beeson M, Gordon L, Phares-Zook N, Johnson TE. Genetic dissection of QTLs for ethanol sensitivity in long- and short-sleep mice. Genes, Brain, and Behavior 7: 659-668, 2008.


• Budovskaya YV, Wu K, Southworth LK, Jiang M, Tedesco P, Johnson TE, Kim SK. An elt-3/elt-5/elt-6 GATA transcription circuit guides aging in C. elegans. Cell 134: 291-303, 2008.


• Yanase, S, Onodear A, Tedesco P, Johnson TE, Ishii N. SOD-1 deletions in Caenorhabditis elegans alter the localization of intracellular ROS and show molecular compensation. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 64(5): 530-539, 2008.


• Parker CC, Ponicsan H, Spencer RL, Holmes A, Johnson TE. Restraint stress and exogenous corticosterone differentially alter sensitivity to the sedative-hypnotic effects of ethanol in ILSinbred long-sleep and inbred short-sleepISS mice. Alcohol 42: 477-485, 2008.


• Downing C, Balderrama-Durbin C, Hayes J, Johnson TE, Gilliam D. No effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on activity in three inbred strains of mice. Alcohol and Alcoholism 44:25-33, 2009.


• Asencio C, Navas P, Cabello J, Schnabel R, Cypser JR, Johnson TE, Rodriguez-Aguillera JC. Coenzyme Q supports distinct developmental processes in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 130:145-153, 2009.


• Park SK, Tedesco PM, Johnson TE. Oxidative stress and longevity in C. elegans as mediated by SKN-1. Aging Cell 8: 258-269, 2009.


• Downing C, Balderrama-Durbin C, Broncucia H, Gilliam D, Johnson TE. Ethanol teratogenesis in five inbred strains of mice. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 33: 1238-1245, 2009.


• Ventura N, Rea, SL, Schiavi A, Torgovnick A, Testi, R, Johnson TE. p53/CEP-1 increases or decreases lifespan, depending on level of mitochondrial bioenergetic stress. Aging Cell 8: 380 - 393, 2009.