Sara B. Johnson, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Headshot of Sara B. Johnson
  • Director, General Academic Pediatrics Fellowship
  • Professor of Pediatrics

Research Interests

Child health; Adolescent health; Health equity; Life course; Self-regulation; Developmental origins of health and disease; Neurodevelopment; Stress and health; Injury prevention ...read more

Background

Sara Johnson is the Blanket Fort Foundation Professor in Pediatric Population Health and Health Equity Research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She also holds joint appointments in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health and the Department of Mental Health in the Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is Director of the Rales Center for the Integration of Health and Education and Director of the General Academic Pediatrics Fellowship Program.

Dr. Johnson’s research focuses on understanding the biological and social mechanisms that perpetuate health inequalities across the life course and across generations and ways to interrupt them. Current projects include an investigation of maternal stress in pregnancy and its impact on child growth via epigenetic mechanisms and a three-generation study of families in Baltimore focused on understanding pathways to success in the context of early adversity. Her school-based work is focused on evaluating new models of school health to reduce health and educational inequality in Baltimore.

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Titles

  • Director, General Academic Pediatrics Fellowship
  • Director, Rales Center for the Integration of Health and Education
  • Professor of Pediatrics

Departments / Divisions

Centers & Institutes

Education

Degrees

  • M.P.H.; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Maryland) (2001)
  • Ph.D.; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Maryland) (2005)
  • B.A.; University of California (Los Angeles) (California) (1997)

Research & Publications

Research Summary

Dr. Johnson’s research focuses on understanding how chronic stress in early life shapes the biology of child health and development. She is particularly interested in understanding the biological and social mechanisms that help perpetuate health inequality across the life course and across generations and ways to interrupt them. Current projects include an investigation of maternal stress in pregnancy and its impact on child growth via epigenetic mechanisms, and a three-generation study of families in Baltimore focused on understanding pathways to success in the context of early adversity. She is interested in translating her mechanistic research into evidence-based interventions in schools to improve health and educational equity.

Selected Publications

Habib DRS, Klein LM, Perrin AJ, Perrin EM, Johnson SB. The role of primary care in advancing civic engagement and health equity: A conceptual framework. Milbank Quarterly, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12661.

Johnson SB, Edwards A, Cheng T, Kelleher K, Kaminski J, Fox EG. Vital signs for pediatric health: Chronic absenteeism. NAM Perspectives. June 26, 2023. National Academy of Medicine, Washington, DC.https://doi.org/10.31478/202306c.

Johnson SB, Voegtline KM, Ialongo N, Hill K, Musci RJ. Self-control in first grade predicts success in the transition to adulthood. Development & Psychopathology. 2022; 24:1-13. doi: 10.1017/S0954579421001255

Johnson SB, Raghunathan R, Li M, Nair D, Matson PA. Moving up but not getting ahead: Family socioeconomic position in pregnancy, social mobility, and child cognitive development in the first seven years of life. Social Science and Medicine Population Health. 2022; 101064: doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101064

Johnson SB, Riley AW, Granger DA, Riis JA. The science of early life toxic stress for pediatric practice and advocacy. Pediatrics. 2013;131(2):319–327. [PMCID: 4074672]

Johnson SB, Riis JA, Noble K. State of the art review: Poverty and the developing brain. Pediatrics. 2016; 137(4): e20153075. [PMCID: 4811314]

Contact for Research Inquiries

David M. Rubenstein Child Health Building
200 N Wolfe St, Rm 2051
Baltimore, MD map
Phone: 410-614-8437

Email me

Academic Affiliations & Courses

Graduate Program Affiliation

Population, Family and Reproductive Health

Activities & Honors

Honors

  • Children's Health Pioneer Award, Ashoka/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2016
  • Advising, Mentoring and Teaching Recognition Award, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2013
  • Excellence in Teaching Award, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2011 - 2014
  • Delta Omega, Alpha Chapter, Honorary Society in Public Health, 2006
  • William Haddon, Jr. Fellowship in Injury Prevention, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2004 - 2005
  • Phi Beta Kappa, 1997
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