Faculty

Roger Johnson

Associate Professor of Biochemistry; Biochemistry Program Coordinator

Professor Roger Johnson

“I love science and seek to instill that same love in my students. To do this I push my students to appreciate the connection between chemical and molecular reactions with biological outcomes. Both laboratory and classroom experiences are designed to enhance moments of discovery, where students see the implications of what they are learning with real-world problems in science and health care.”

Education

  • Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, 1997
  • M.S. in Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, 1990
  • B.S. in Zoology, Brigham Young University, 1987

Courses

  • Biochemistry Major: Chemistry Today, Biochemistry, Advanced Biochemistry, Biochemistry Lab, Senior Capstone
  • Biology Major: Microbiology

Teaching Positions & Professional Experience

  • Joined the Southern Virginia University faculty in 2015
  • Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 2001–04
  • Research Assistant, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1997–2001

Scholarship & Creative Work

  • Presented on a variety of subjects from DNA repair to radiation research
  • Contributed to 10 research articles for publications such as Nature
  • “Mammalian XRCC2 promotes the repair of DNA double-strand breaks by homologous recombination” (articlelink)
  • Worked with wife, best-selling author and keynote speaker Whitney Johnson, to write articles that have appeared online in the Harvard Business Review

Awards, Leadership & Service

  • Received multiple awards and grants from organizations including the National Institute of Health, 1989–91, 1997–2000, the American Cancer Society 2000–02, the Wendy Will Case Cancer Fund, 2000–01, and Brigham Young University, 1987–89
  • Delbert Greenwood Award, Brigham Young University Biochemistry Department, 1989