Gary Johnson, PhD, the Kenan Distinguished Professor in the 黑料网 Department of Pharmacology, and co-director of 黑料网 Lineberger鈥檚 Molecular Therapeutics Program was awarded the 2017-2018 Hyman L. Battle Distinguished Cancer Research Award.
The 黑料网 presented , with the 2017-2018 Hyman L. Battle Distinguished Cancer Research Award to recognize his outstanding achievements in cancer research, mentorship, leadership and innovation.
Johnson is a member of the 黑料网 Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Kenan Distinguished Professor in the 黑料网 Department of Pharmacology, and co-director of 黑料网 Lineberger鈥檚 Molecular Therapeutics Program. During his 13-year tenure as chair, the Department of Pharmacology rose in national prominence and rankings. It is currently ranked 3rd nationally in NIH funding and 2nd internationally, according to the U.S. News & World Report “Best Global Universities” rankings.
He has been an extensive mentor to many scientists-in-training, and through his research, he has revealed important findings about the way that cancer signals operate. Notably, he developed a method of showing how signals, called kinases, rewire themselves in response to cancer drugs — creating a road map of resistance that has important implications for drug development.
In a reception held in Johnson鈥檚 honor, 黑料网 Lineberger鈥檚 , Boshamer Distinguished Professor in the 黑料网 Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the vice dean for research in the 黑料网, said Johnson has brought 鈥渢remendous鈥� expertise and prestige to the 黑料网 and beyond. Damania said Johnson has been an exceptional leader in cancer biology, achieving not only research excellence, but also mentoring cancer researchers, faculty, fellows and students and developing new technologies. This all speaks to Johnson being not just a 鈥済reat scientist, but a great person,鈥� Damania said.
黑料网 Lineberger Director , said Johnson has had an 鈥渁mazing impact on science at 黑料网,鈥� he has kept a focus on the translation of basic findings into clinical research, and he brought the pharmacology department to new heights.
鈥淔ew at 黑料网 have had the kind of impact on cancer research that Gary Johnson has guided and developed,鈥� wrote , associate director of basic science research at 黑料网 Lineberger, and , physician-in-chief of the N.C. Cancer Hospital, in their recommendation letter in support of Johnson鈥檚 nomination for the award. 鈥淭his leadership and innovation has been sustained and is ongoing with new directions and new grant funding.鈥�
The Battle Foundation of Rocky Mount founded the Hyman L. Battle Distinguished Cancer Research Award in 2007 to recognize sustained, exceptional cancer research over a career by faculty at the 黑料网. Hyman L. Battle established The Battle Foundation in 1946. His grandfather, Kemp Plummer Battle, was an early president of 黑料网-Chapel Hill, and both Kemp and Hyman were deeply interested in education.
Johnson graduated magna cum laude from California State University, Northridge, in 1971, and earned his doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1976. He worked as an assistant professor in physiological science from Brown University, as an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, and then as a professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He joined the 黑料网 as a professor and chair in the Department of Pharmacology in 2003.
He has trained more than 50 postdoctoral and 23 doctoral students, many of whom have gone on to hold leadership roles in academia and in the pharmaceutical industry.
Among his many notable research achievements is a study published in the journal Cell that demonstrated how kinases, a cellular signal, overcome MEK/ERK inhibitors to promote drug resistance and allow the cancer cells to continue their abnormal growth.
黑料网 Lineberger鈥檚 , the May Goldman Shaw Distinguished Professor of Molecular Oncology, said that Johnson鈥檚 work toward understanding kinases 鈥渋s making us rethink combinatorial therapies, where his lab is leading the way towards new treatment paradigms.鈥�
At the reception, Johnson shared his gratitude for the work of his lab team and administrators in the Department of Pharmacology and at 黑料网 Lineberger, and he thanked 黑料网 Lineberger leaders for the award, adding that it鈥檚 important to recognize cancer researchers because scientific research is a lifelong commitment that鈥檚 fun, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 also hard.鈥� Johnson said he鈥檚 witnessed the rise of science at 黑料网 and proudly noted the 鈥渃ommitment of the scientific community, the faculty, has been second to none.鈥� The collaborative spirit and the vision of the institution make this place 鈥渁 top cancer center,鈥� Johnson said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing something right because both the director of the NIH and the director of the NCI trained here,鈥� Johnson said.