Rowena Johnston MD

Biographic Summary

As vice president and director of research at amfAR, Rowena Johnston is responsible for overseeing the Foundation’s research program, determining the Foundation’s research priorities, evaluating and analyzing the program’s direction, conducting cure-related research and serving as a liaison between the scientific community and other communities.

In 2010 Dr. Johnston was instrumental in forming the amfAR Research Consortium on HIV Eradication (ARCHE).  She directs the research focus of the Consortium and oversees amfAR’s other cure research initiatives. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the amfAR Institute for HIV Cure Research.

Dr. Johnston received her Ph.D. in psychology (biopsychology) in 1998 from the University of Michigan. She completed postdoctoral training in the department of neurology at Emory University and the cellular neurology branch of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to joining amfAR in September 2001, Dr. Johnston was scientific advisor at the Michael J. Fox Foundation/Parkinson’s Action Network.