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Professors
Barrett G. Haik, MD, FACS
(Chair)
Edward Chaum, MD, PhD
Richard D. Drewry, Jr., MD, FACS*
Robert W. Enzenauer, MD, MPH
James. C. Fleming, MD, FACS
Eldon E. Geisert, Jr., PhD
Ralph S. Hamilton, MD
Roger L. Hiatt, Sr., MD*
Dianna A. Johnson, PhD
Natalie Kerr, MD, FACS
Zeynel A. Karcioglu, MD
Malak Kotb, PhD
Peter A. Netland, MD, PhD
R. Christopher Walton, MD, MHA
Associate Professors
Elizabeth A. Fitzgerald, PhD
Alessandro Iannaccone, MD, MS
Monica M. Jablonski, PhD
William R. Morris, MD
Eniko Pivnick, MD
Matthew W. Wilson, MD
Assistant Professors
Michael A. Dyer, PhD
Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, MD
James C. Hart, MD, MPH
Mary Ellen Hoehn, MD
Syed Mazher Husain, PhD
Elliott M. Kanner, MD, PhD
Rita Kansal, PhD
Thomas O'Donnell, MD
Andreea E. Partal, MD
Tonia S. Rex, PhD
Sarwat Salim, MD, FACS
Jena J. Steinle, PhD
Instructors
John W. Boyle, IV, MD
Lidia Gardner, PhD
Carrie L. Morris, MD
Mary E. Smith, MPH, RDMS
* Professor Emeritus
Professors
Steven Charles, MD
Jerre M. Freeman, MD
Thomas C. Gettelfinger, MD
Ivan Marais, MD
Spencer Thornton, MD
Audrey W. Tuberville, MD
Ralph Wesley, MD
Thomas O. Wood, MD
Associate Professors
Andrew Lawton, MD
Howard L. Beale, MD
Brian S. Biesman, MD
Ernesto Calvo, MD
Fletcher Goode, MD
Richard E. Sievers, MD
Ming Wang, MD
Assistant Professors
Kathryn W. Byrd, MD
Thomas A. Currey, MD
Roger L. Deshaies, MD
James Freeman, MD
Lawrence W. Gordon, MD
Henry T. Grizzard, MD
Ralph F. Hamilton, MD
J. Charles Henry, MD
Faramarz (Fred) Hidaji, MD
Sunny Khamapirad, MD
Sidney Kriger, MD
Melvin Litch, MD
Gary Passons, MD
William Bradford Priester, MD
Alan R. Schaeffer, MD
Instructors
Darren J. Bell, MD
Jorge I. Calzada, MD
John Freeman, MD
Elliott Kanner, MD
Associate Professors
Erno Lindner, PhD
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Dianna
A. Johnson*, Ph.D.
Professor of Ophthalmology
Professor of Anatomy & Neurobiology
Adjunct Professor of Physiology
Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic,
Faculty, and Student Affairs
The Hamilton Eye Institute
930 Madison Avenue,
Room 732
Memphis, TN 38163
(901) 448-1375
dijohnson@utmem.edu
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Research Interest
Research in the Johnson lab focuses on basic questions of retinal structure
and function, retinal development, retinal degeneration, and retinal disease.
As the most approachable part of the brain, the retina provides the
opportunity to investigate neuronal mechanisms that not only serve critical
visual functions, but also serve as models for other brain functions as well.
The orderly arrangement of retinal neurons is particularly amenable to
morphological analyses using light and confocal microscopy as well as scanning
and transmission electron microscopy. These techniques are employed for
immunocytochemical localization, 3-D reconstruction, and various morphometric
analyses in a number of ongoing projects. In conjunction with Dr. Michael Dyer
from St. Jude, we have described important attributes of retinal tumorogenesis
in the most prevalent type of childhood eye tumor, retinoblastoma. Heretofore
unappreciated characteristics of retinoblastoma tumor, including abnormal
differentiation and corrupt re-wiring of adjacent normal retina, help in
developing new strategies for treatment in this blinding disorder affecting
children.
Education
-
BS,
1964 (Biology), Centenary College, Shreveport, LA
- PhD,
1972 (Biology-Neurobiology), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Postgraduate Education
- Postdoctural Fellowship, 1974 (Psychobiology), University of California,
Irvine
Honors and Awards
- 1964-1965 Louisiana Heart Association Undergraduate Research Award
- 1964-1965 NSF Predoctural Fellowship
- 1972-1974 NIH Postdoctural Fellowship
- 1977-1981 NIH Research Career Development Award
- 1981 Recognition as Outstanding Alumnus, Centenary College
- 1982 Special Teaching Appreciation Award, Sophomore Class, University
of Texas Medical School
- 1983 Houston Federation of Professional Women, Outstanding Woman
in Science Award
- 1986 Dean's Teaching Excellence Award, University of Texas Medical
School
- 1991 Santa Barbara Writer's Conference, First Prize for Non-fiction
Writing
- 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 Dean's Teaching Excellence Award, University
of Texas Medical School
- 1993 Outstanding Teacher in Neuroscience
- 1994-1996 Jules and Doris Stein Research to Prevent Blindness Professorship
- 1994, 1995 University of Texas-Houston Graduate School of Biomedical
Sciences Dean's Excellence Award
- 1996 Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement
of Science
- 1996 University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston-Distinguished
Professional Woman Award
- 1996 Honorary Doctorate of Science Degree-Centenary College
Professional Affiliations
- American Society for Neurochemistry
- Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
- Association for Women in Science
- Society for Neuroscience
- International Society for Developmental Neuroscience
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Society for Cell Biology
- American Society of Biological Chemists
- Iota Sigma Pi
- International Congress of Eye Research
- Sigma Xi
- Sigma Delta Epsilon, Graduate Women in Science
Editorial Positions, Service on National Grant Review Panels, Study,
Sections, Committees:
NIH:
- Ad Hoc Member, National Eye Institute Board of Scientific Counselors
(1980)
- Ad Hoc Reviewer, National Eye Institute Special Grants (1981)
- Consultant, National Eye Institute External Site Review Committee
(1982)
- Member, NIH Behavioral and Neuroscience Postdoctural Fellowship Study
Section (1983-1988)
- Reviewers Reserve (NRR) (1988-1992)
- National Institute of Deafness and Communicable Disorders, Board
of Scientific Counselors (1990-1993)
- Chairperson, Special Emphasis Panel, National Eye Institute (1993)
- Ad-Hoc member, National Eye Institute Study Section (1994)
- National Eye Institute's Special Review Committee for Core Grants
and Clinical Vision Research Development Awards (1994-1995)
NSF:
- Ad Hoc Reviewer, NSF Division of Behavior and Neural Sciences (1985)
- Member, NSF Sensory Sciences Panel (1990-1991)
Editorial Boards:
- Journal of Neuroscience Research (1984-1992)
- Neurochemical Research (1986-1996)
- International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience (1988-present)
- Journal of Neurochemistry (1990-1992)
- Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (1992-present)
- Visual Neuroscience (1993-1995)
Other Boards:
- Board of Trustees, Centenary Collge (1994-present)
- Bart Brooks Center for Medical Ethics (1994-present)
- President's Advisory Council, Centenary College (1993-present)
- National Advisory Committee, Kansas Center for Mental Retardation
and Human Development (1990-present)
- Texas Society to Prevent Blindness, Board of Directors (1986-1996)
- John Sealy Memorial Endowment Fund Review Panel, 1994
- Houston Educational Fund, Board of Directors (1988-1994)
- Texas Institute for Behavioral Medicine and Neuroscience, Board of
Directors (1990-1992)
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