Project Title: Investigating the Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Immunodetection of Mycosis Fungoides
Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution: John Hopkins University
Funding NIH Institution/Center: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Grant ID: K99AR084575
Courtney M. Johnson, MD, PhD, is a physician-scientist in the Department of Dermatology and Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. She focuses on caring for patients with cutaneous lymphomas and general dermatology. Dr. Johnson received her medical and doctoral training at Brown University Warren Alpert School of Medicine, where she studied integrin crosstalk in the neutrophilic response to fungal infections. She completed her preliminary internal medicine training at the University of Miami School of Medicine and her dermatology training at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Supported by the NIH T32, Dr. Johnson performed her post-doctoral studies in the laboratory of Dr. Winston Timp, where she focused on understanding the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. She has identified novel subtypes and locations of CAFs within a diverse patient population using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics. As a recent recipient of the K99 award, the long-term goals of her research group are to investigate how the CAF subtypes aid in the immune evasion of lymphoma cells. She actively mentors students from diverse backgrounds in research and supports programs dedicated to women in medicine. Her work has been recognized by the NIH/NIAMS, the Dermatology Foundation, the Skin of Color Society, and the Maryland Dermatological Society.