Dr. Johnson is an Associate Research Scientist at the SPRL of the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences at The University of Michigan. She received B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Geophysics and Space Physics in 1980 (cum laude), 1984, and 1987, respectively from the University of California at Los Angeles. Dr. Johnson became a Research Physicist at SRI International in Menlo Park, CA in 1987. In that position, she was a member of a group responsible for operation of the Søndre Strømfjord incoherent scatter radar, funded through the NSF. In 1989, Dr. Johnson accepted a position as an Assistant Research Scientist at the SPRL and was promoted to Associate Research Scientist in 1993. Dr. Johnson has pursued research interests in several areas, including modeling and analysis of aspects of the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system, paleoclimatology, isotope geochemistry and atmospheric chemistry. She has assisted in the research direction of six Ph.D. students and one Masters student. She has also participated repeatedly in the NSF sponsored REU program, and the University of Michigan Women in Science and Undergraduate Research Opportunities programs mentoring a total of six undergraduate students over the past four years in directed studies.
Dr. Johnson is the PI of several ongoing research projects for NSF and NASA. These studies include investigation of the coupling between neutrals and ions in the high latitude lower thermosphere, development of climatology models of incoherent scatter radar data, extensive participation in analysis and interpretation of Lower Thermospheric Coupling Study measurements, and development of an empirical tidal model of the lower thermosphere. Dr. Johnson is also a Co-PI or Co-I on several other NASA and NSF sponsored projects, including the TIMED TIDI instrument, analysis of correlative measurements for UARS obtained at Sondrestrom and interpretation of Thule and Sondrestrom optical measurements.
Dr. Johnson is an Associate Editor of JGR - Space Physics and is a regular reviewer of proposals and papers for numerous agencies and journals. She has been the convenor or chairperson at several national and international meetings. She has served extensively on Laboratory, College, and professional committees and has won awards from universities and the AGU. Dr. Johnson is the author or co-author of 31 publications in journals, conference proceedings, and reports, as well as 54 invited and contributed papers at national and international meetings. Dr. Johnson is a member of the Public Outreach Committee of the AGU.