research overview
- Dr. Johnson’s research focuses on two pervasive and inter-related forms of biological change: disease emergence and species invasions. Both have important consequences for individuals, populations, and for entire ecological communities and ecosystem processes. Invasions and disease also have costly economic and health repercussions for human societies. Dr. Johnson’s lab focuses on developing a dynamic, ecological understanding of disease emergence as a prerequisite for intervention. Recent publications by his group have highlighted how losses of biodiversity can enhance parasite transmission and how nutrient runoff can indirectly drive disease through changes in ecological food webs. These same patterns are evident for both human and wildlife diseases. Currently his research program is directed at three focal areas: (i) the community ecology of disease, (ii) biodiversity loss and infectious disease, (iii) and parasitic infections in marine ecosystems