University of Kansas · ChemistryJohnson Neurobiology Lab
Michael A. Johnson · Lawrence, Kansas
Research Focus
Dr. Michael A. Johnson's lab at the University of Kansas focuses on the role of zinc in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. They develop advanced analytical methods to study how zinc interacts with neurotransmitters in the brain, specifically looking at how disruptions in zinc signaling can impair cognitive function. By using zebrafish as a model organism, they aim to create new insights that could help in developing therapies targeting these diseases.
Zinc signalingneurodegenerative diseasesAlzheimer's diseaseParkinson's diseasedopamineoxidative stressneurotransmitter regulationzebrafish modelproteomics
Research Aims
5AIM 01Develop analytical tools for studying zinc signaling in neurodegeneration.
AIM 02Investigate how zinc transients affect dopamine release and uptake.
AIM 03Explore the relationship between intracellular zinc levels and reactive oxygen species generation.
AIM 04Identify oxidative modifications of proteins related to zinc binding.
AIM 05Adapt techniques to study other metals affecting neurotransmitter signaling.
Skills the Lab Values
fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV)photoreactive chemical designzebrafish handlingtargeted proteomic analysisneurotransmitter measurementspatiotemporal analysisdata analysis using softwareexperimental design in neurosciencebiochemical assays
Output against the department
Publications176bottom 41% of dept.127th of 216
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations5.1kbottom 37% of dept.136th of 216
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.