Marian Johnson-Thompson

Marian Cecelia Johnson-Thompson (born December 9, 1946) is an American virologist who was a Professor at the University of the District of Columbia. She was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Marian Johnson-Thompson
Marian Johnson-Thompson at the NIEHS in 2006
Alma materHoward University
Georgetown University
Scientific career
InstitutionsNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
University of the District of Columbia
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
ThesisEffect of 5-Azacytidine on simian virus 40 DNA replication (1978)

Early life and education

Johnson-Thompson was born in Boston. She moved to Riviera Beach, Florida as a child, where she attended high school. As an undergraduate student at Howard University, Johnson-Thompson specialised in microbiology, and graduated with a master's degree in 1971.[1] She moved to Georgetown University for her graduate studies, where she focussed on molecular virology.[1] Only a few years after segregation, Johnson-Thompson was the first American-born Black person to complete the graduate programme.[1] She completed her doctoral research in the Georgetown University Medical Center in 1978.[2]

Research and career

Johnson-Thompson's research spanned several different aspects of virology. Initiatlly, she studied the mechanisms of action of the azacytidine against SV40. She has also investigated the impact of UV laser therapy on the stability of viral DNA, a proposed treatment for human papillomavirus infection. She has studied the molecular mechanisms that underpin breast cancer, showing that women of colour were most likely to suffer from environmental-induced breast cancer.[3] This study alerted her to the need for minority sciences to be better represented in medical research.[3]

After retiring from University of the District of Columbia in 1994, Johnson-Thompson joined the National Institutes of Health as the Director of Education and Biomedical Research Development at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,[1][4] where she was responsible for clinical trials, including the Sister Study, which looked to understand the environmental causes of breast cancer.[4] She found that African-American women were more likely to have more delayed cancer treatment diagnoses, as well as more prolonged treatment.[5]

Academic service

Johson-Thompson established a scholarship at Howard University which supports women scientists from marginalised groups.[1] The scholarship was named after Marie Taylor.[1] In 1997 Johnson-Thompson established the Bridging Education Science and Technology Program at Hillside High School, introducing high school students to molecular biology.[1]

Awards and honors

Selected publications
  • Johnson‐Thompson, Marian C.; Guthrie, Janet (2000). "Ongoing research to identify environmental risk factors in breast carcinoma". Cancer. 88 (S5): 1224–1229. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0142(20000301)88:5+<1224::AID-CNCR8>3.0.CO;2-H. ISSN 1097-0142.
  • Newman, Lisa A.; Pollock, Raphael E.; Johnson‐Thompson, Marian C. (2003). "Increasing the pool of academically oriented African-American medical and surgical oncologists". Cancer. 97 (S1): 329–334. doi:10.1002/cncr.11027. hdl:2027.42/34372. ISSN 1097-0142. PMID 12491497. S2CID 21616777.

Personal life

Johnson-Thompson is married with two children.[1]

References
  1. Johnson, Crystal N. (2018), "Marian Johnson-Thompson: Lifelong Mentor", Women in Microbiology, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 183–192, doi:10.1128/9781555819545.ch20, ISBN 978-1-68367-057-5, retrieved 2021-01-03
  2. Johnson-Thompson, Marian Cecilia (1978). Effect of 5-Azacytidine on simian virus 40 DNA replication (Thesis). OCLC 6039668.
  3. "Marian Johnson-Thompson, Ph.D." www.epidemiolog.net. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  4. "Marian Johnson-Thompson". UNC Lineberger. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  5. "Black women may be less likely to receive timely treatment for breast cancer". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  6. "Marian Johnson-Thompson, PhD". Howard University. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  7. Read "Seeking Solutions: Maximizing American Talent by Advancing Women of Color in Academia: Summary of a Conference" at NAP.edu.
  8. "Dr. Marian Johnson-Thompson". MicroGSA. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  9. "Marian Johnson-Thompson's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  10. "Marian Johnson-Thompson wins 2004 Alice C. Evans Award". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  11. "NC DEQ: Secretary's Environmental Justice and Equity Board Members". deq.nc.gov. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
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