Tracy L. Johnson facts for kids

Tracy L. Johnson is a very important professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She studies how living things grow and work at a tiny level. She is also a professor at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In 2020, she became the leader, or Dean, of the UCLA Division of Life Sciences.

What She Studies

Professor Johnson's research helps us understand how our bodies work. She focuses on how genes are turned on and off. She also studies how chromatin (which is how DNA is packaged) changes. Another big part of her work is RNA splicing, which is like editing the messages from our DNA. This editing helps cells react to their surroundings.

The Spliceosome Machine

Her team especially studies something called the spliceosome. Imagine it as a tiny, complex machine inside our cells. This machine is made of five parts. It works with a message from our DNA, called pre-messenger RNA. The spliceosome edits this message. This editing makes sure the right instructions are sent out. These instructions then help our bodies make the correct proteins. Her group has found that how DNA is wrapped up can affect how this spliceosome machine works.

Her Journey and Work

Tracy L. Johnson has had an amazing journey in science. She first earned her degree in biochemistry and cell biology from the University of California, San Diego. Then, she got a higher degree (a Ph.D.) in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of California, Berkeley. After that, she did special research at the California Institute of Technology. There, she worked with Dr. John Abelson to learn more about how RNA messages are put together.

Teaching and Leadership

From 2003 to 2013, Professor Johnson taught at the University of California San Diego. She won many awards there. These included a big award from the President for young scientists. She also won an award for being an excellent teacher for college students.

In 2013, she joined the faculty at University of California, Los Angeles. She became a professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology. In 2014, she was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. She also became an associate dean in 2015, helping to make sure everyone felt included in the life sciences department. In 2020, she became the Dean of the UCLA Division of Life Sciences.

Helping Students Succeed

Professor Johnson also cares a lot about helping students learn. She created programs like the UCLA-HHMI Pathways to Success Program. This program helps college students get real experience doing science research early in their studies. It has three main parts:

• A lab course where students do actual research.
• A network of mentors, including other students and professors.
• Groups where students can learn and work closely together.

Awards and Recognition

Professor Johnson has received many honors for her important work:

• Maria Rowena Ross Chair of Cell Biology and Biochemistry
• Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence, UCLA Life Sciences (2015)
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Professor (2014)
• Chancellor's Associates Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2013)
• Top 20 Women Professors in California (2013)
• Jane Coffin Childs postdoctoral fellowship
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) (2006)