James E. Johnson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Wake Forest University School of Medicine (1983)

Basic Science Research Emphasis: 1. Activity-dependent changes in neurotrophic signaling including alterations in the utilization of BDNF following perturbations in visual experience and motor activity. 2. The physiological role of BDNF signaling on the anatomical, physiological and behavioral plasticity of the visual and motor systems.

Applied Clinical Research Emphasis: Development of quantitative diagnostic assays to improve the assessment of patients afflicted with acute and chronic neuronal cell death using an electrochemiluminesence immunoassay ECLIA and electrochemiluminesence ribonuclease protection assay (ECLRA).

Medical Education: Instruction of all anatomical disciplines (Gross Anatomy, Microanatomy, Neuroanatomy, Embryology) throughout all phases of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.

Selected Publications:

Overexpression of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Enhances Sensory Innervation and Selectively Increases Neuron Number
Ann M. LeMaster, Robin F. Krimm, Brian M. Davis, Teresa Noel, Mary E. Forbes, James E. Johnson, and Kathryn M. Albers
J. Neurosci. 1999 19: 5919-5931.

BDNF Injected into the Superior Colliculus Reduces Developmental Retinal Ganglion Cell Death
Yun-Tao Ma, Ted Hsieh, M. Elizabeth Forbes, James E. Johnson, and Douglas O. Frost J.
Neurosci. 1998 18: 2097-2107.

Expression of TrkB receptor isoforms in the developing avian visual system
AS Garner, HJ Menegay, KL Boeshore, XY Xie, JM Voci, JE Johnson, and TH Large
J. Neurosci. 1996 16: 1740-1752.

Cell death of spinal motoneurons in the chick embryo following deafferentation: rescue effects of tissue extracts, soluble proteins, and neurotrophic agents
QW Yin, J Johnson, D Prevette, and RW Oppenheim
J. Neurosci. 1994 14: 7629-7640.

Neurotrophic Factors, In: Fundamental Neuroscience,
Johnson JE (1998) (FL Bloom, SC Landis, JL Roberts, LR Squire, and MJ Zigmond, eds.) New York, NY, p. 611-635.

E-mail: jejohn@wfubmc.edu