Christine Johnson, VMD, MPVM, PhD

As Professor of Epidemiology and Ecosystem Health at UC Davis, Christine K Johnson is committed to transdisciplinary research at the intersection of emerging disease and environmental health. Professor Johnson’s research has pioneered new approaches to investigating disease dynamics at the animal-human interface in rapidly changing landscapes that constitute “fault lines” for disease emergence, disease spillover and subsequent spread. Her work aims to serve pressing research needs at the boundaries of science and policy related to wildlife health, impacts of environmental change on disease in animal and human populations, and conservation and public health implications of movement of pathogens across ecosystem boundaries. She directs the NSF Center for Pandemic Insights, a multi-institution consortium catalyzing transdisciplinary scientific and technical innovations to advance our ability to characterize the pre-emergence phase of pandemics. She also leads the EpiCenter for Emerging Infectious Disease Intelligence, one of NIAID’s Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases, which investigates drivers for spillover and spread of emerging viruses with an international team of scientists. She served as US Science Envoy for the US Department of State, traveling to four continents to advance science diplomacy and international collaboration. She is a Member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). At UC Davis, she teaches One Health and ecosystem health and fosters a training program in applied research in wildlife epidemiology and disease ecology at the animal-human interface.