Dr. Micah Johnson is a medical sociologist focused on the intersection of trauma and behavioral health within the context of family medicine. He leads the Johnson Lab in the Department of Family Medicine at the Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. The Johnson Lab oversees several research, training, and intervention programs. Dr. Johnson has secured nearly $5M in research grants from the National Institutes of Health to support these initiatives.
The Johnson Lab employs mixed-methods research to investigate behavioral health phenomena, with a focus on trauma, addiction, and violence. The Johnson Lab conducts community-driven research that informs interventions and policy reform. The Florida native, professor, and sociologist, Micah Johnson, created this research agenda to improve public health and empower communities to thrive.
The Substance Misuse and Addiction Research Traineeship (SMART) program is a transdisciplinary research education initiative designed to enhance workforce readiness in the next generation of substance misuse and addiction scientists. Funded by an NIH R25 research grant, SMART provides undergraduate students with comprehensive training in substance misuse research through mentored experiences, workshops, and hands-on activities. The program emphasizes skill-building in scientific inquiry, health disparities research, and community engagement, with the ultimate goal of creating a pipeline of scientists equipped to address critical public health challenges. To date, the program has supported over 50 students on the path to graduate school, many of whom are on track to become researchers, physicians, and clinician-scientists.
The Scientific Training in Addiction Research Techniques (START) program is a cutting-edge initiative that delivers specialized research training in addiction science to early-career investigators. An initiative of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, START offers participants an immersive educational experience in advanced research methodologies, neurobehavioral science, and epidemiology. The program has received national recognition for exceeding expectations and aims to build capacity in addiction research through mentorship, innovative training modules, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The program currently supports 36 junior scholars, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and assistant professors, located at universities across the United States.
