Professor Simon Johnston

PhD

School of Medicine and Population Health

Professor of Infectious Disease

s.a.johnston@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 2301
+44 114 222 2702 (lab)
Firth Court

Full contact details

Professor Simon Johnston
School of Medicine and Population Health
Firth Court
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
Profile

For enquiries please contact - SMPH-West-Operational@sheffield.ac.uk

  • 2018 - Senior Research Fellow. Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield.
  • 2012 - 2018 Medical Research Council - Career Development Award Fellow, Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, MRC Centre for Developmental and Biomedical Genetics. (2012-2014) and Bateson Centre (2014), University of Sheffield.
  • 2012 - 2017 Krebs Institute - Fellow, Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield.
  • 2011 - 2012 Lister Institute Post-Doctoral Research Associate, University of Birmingham, Birmingham.
  • 2010 - 2011 Wellcome Trust - Post-Doctoral Research Associate, University of Birmingham, Birmingham.
  • 2007 - 2010 Medical Research Council - Post-Doctoral Research Associate, University of Birmingham, Birmingham.
  • 2003 - 2007 PhD Cell Biology, University of Birmingham.
  • 2000 - 2003 BSc (Hons) Biochemistry, University of Birmingham.

Current PhD opportunities:

Research interests

My research group is focused on the study infectious disease to improve patient treatment and to further our fundamental understanding of how the immune system functions. We use a multidisciplinary approach in collaboration with biologists, clinicians, engineers and physicists. In this way we aim to use the best experimental model to answer the specific research question at hand.

We have a particular interest in opportunistic fungal infections in immunocompromise. One example is Cryptococcus neoformans, which is a fungal pathogen of humans and causes hundreds of thousands of deaths in the severely immunocompromised world-wide each year.

Most life-threatening infections are in individuals with AIDS in Africa where it is the most common cause of meningo-encephalitis and the cause of 15% of AIDS-related deaths. In our studies of cryptococcal disease my group has contributed to how the immune system is defective in responding to cryptococcal infection in immunocompromise and what features of cryptococci drive their virulence.

Currently, we have three research priorities:

  1. Macrophage mediated immunity to opportunistic infection
  2. Central nervous system pathology in infection and immune system disease
  3. Mechanisms and regulation of phagocytosis
Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

  • Evans RJ, Pline K, Loynes CA, Needs S, Aldrovandi M, Tiefenbach J, Bielska E, Rubino RE, Nicol CJ, May RC , Krause HM et al (2019) . PLoS Pathogens, 15(3).
  • Watkins RA, Andrews A, Wynn C, Barisch C, King JS & Johnston SA (2018) . Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 8.
  • van Leeuwen LM, Evans RJ, Jim KK, Verboom T, Fang X, Bojarczuk A, Malicki J, Johnston SA & van der Sar AM (2018) . Biology Open, 7(2).
  • Ballou ER & Johnston SA (2017) . Current Opinion in Microbiology, 40, 88-94.
  • Gilbert AS, Seoane PI, Sephton-Clark P, Bojarczuk A, Hotham R, Giurisato E, Sarhan AR, Hillen A, Velde GV, Gray NS , Alessi DR et al (2017) . Science Advances, 3(8).
  • Bojarczuk A, Miller KA, Hotham R, Lewis A, Ogryzko NV, Kamuyango AA, Frost H, Gibson RH, Stillman E, May RC , Renshaw SA et al (2016) . Scientific Reports, 6.
  • Johnston SA, Voelz K & May RC (2016) . Scientific Reports, 6.
  • Gibson JF & Johnston SA (2015) . Fungal Genetics and Biology, 78, 76-86.
  • Voelz K, Johnston SA, Smith LM, Hall RA, Idnurm A & May RC (2014) . Nature Communications, 5(-), ---.
  • Johnston SA & May RC (2013) . Cell Microbiol, 15(3), 403-411.
  • Johnston SA & May RC (2010) . Plos Pathogens, 6(8), 27-28.

All publications

Books

  • Heitman J (2011) Cryptococcus From Human Pathogen to Model Yeast. Amer Society for Microbiology.

Journal articles

  • Michiels L, Shameem M, Vanhoffelen E, Reséndiz-Sharpe A, Johnston SA, Beziere N & Vande Velde G (2025) . npj Imaging, 3(1).
  • Norwood JS, Davis JL, Salamaga B, Moss CE, Johnston SA, Elks PM, Kiss‐Toth E & Mesnage S (2024) . Molecular Microbiology, 122(2), 230-242.
  • Moss CE, Johnston SA, Kimble JV, Clements M, Codd V, Hamby S, Goodall AH, Deshmukh S, Sudbery I, Coca D , Wilson HL et al (2024) . Cell Reports, 43(4).
  • Martinez-Campesino L, Kocsy K, Cañedo J, Johnston JM, Moss CE, Johnston SA, Hamby S, Goodall AH, Redgrave J, Francis SE , Kiss-Toth E et al (2022) . Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 9.
  • Gibson JF, Bojarczuk A, Evans RJ, Kamuyango AA, Hotham R, Lagendijk AK, Hogan BM, Ingham PW, Renshaw SA & Johnston SA (2022) . PLoS Pathogens, 18(4).
  • Gibson JF, Pidwill GR, Carnell OT, Surewaard BGJ, Shamarina D, Sutton JAF, Jeffery C, Derré-Bobillot A, Archambaud C, Siggins MK , Pollitt EJG et al (2021) . PLoS Pathogens, 17(9).
  • Gibson JF, Prajsnar TK, Hill CJ, Tooke AK, Serba JJ, Tonge RD, Foster SJ, Grierson AJ, Ingham PW, Renshaw SA & Johnston SA (2021) . Autophagy, 17(6), 1448-1457.
  • Klionsky DJ, Abdel-Aziz AK, Abdelfatah S, Abdellatif M, Abdoli A, Abel S, Abeliovich H, Abildgaard MH, Abudu YP, Acevedo-Arozena A , Adamopoulos IE et al (2021) . Autophagy, 17(1), 1-382.
  • Zawia A, Arnold ND, West L, Pickworth JA, Turton H, Iremonger J, Braithwaite AT, Cañedo J, Johnston SA, Thompson AAR , Miller G et al (2021) . Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology, 41(1), 430-445.
  • Prajsnar TK, Serba JJ, Dekker BM, Gibson JF, Masud S, Fleming A, Johnston SA, Renshaw SA & Meijer AH (2020) . Autophagy, 17(4), 888-902.
  • Evans RJ & Johnston SA (2020) . Nuclear Receptor Signaling, 17.
  • Jones D, Hagen F, Donaldson C, Rudman J, Canedo J & Johnston S (2019) . Access Microbiology, 1(9).
  • Rudman J, Evans RJ & Johnston SA (2019) . Fungal Genetics and Biology, 132, 103261-103261.
  • Fehri H, Gooya A, Lu Y, Meijering E, Johnston SA & Frangi AF (2019) . IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, 28(7), 3246-3260.
  • Rudman J, Marriott HM, Carlin LM & Johnston SA (2019) .
  • Roddie HG, Armitage EL, Coates JA, Johnston SA & Evans IR (2019) . PLoS Biology, 17(5).
  • Gibson JF, Prajsnar TK, Hill CJ, Tooke AK, Serba JJ, Tonge RD, Foster SJ, Grierson AJ, Ingham PW, Renshaw SA & Johnston SA (2019) .
  • Probert M, Zhou X, Goodall M, Johnston SA, Bielska E, Ballou ER & May RC (2019) . Infection and Immunity, 87(4).
  • Evans RJ, Pline K, Loynes CA, Needs S, Aldrovandi M, Tiefenbach J, Bielska E, Rubino RE, Nicol CJ, May RC , Krause HM et al (2019) . PLoS Pathogens, 15(3).
  • Prajsnar TK, Serba JJ, Dekker BM, Gibson JF, Masud S, Fleming A, Johnston SA, Renshaw SA & Meijer AH (2019) .
  • Duvenage L, Walker LA, Bojarczuk A, Johnston SA, MacCallum DM, Munro CA & Gourlay CW (2019) . MBio, 10(1).
  • Gow NAR, Amin T, McArdle K, Brown AJP, Brown GD, Warris A & the WTSA-MMFI Consortium (2018) . Trends in Microbiology, 26(10), 811-813.
  • Watkins RA, Andrews A, Wynn C, Barisch C, King JS & Johnston SA (2018) . Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 8.
  • van Leeuwen LM, Evans RJ, Jim KK, Verboom T, Fang X, Bojarczuk A, Malicki J, Johnston SA & van der Sar AM (2018) . Biology Open, 7(2).
  • Ballou ER & Johnston SA (2017) . Current Opinion in Microbiology, 40, 88-94.
  • Watkins RA, King JS & Johnston SA (2017) . Microorganisms, 5(4).
  • Gibson JF, Evans RJ, Bojarczuk A, Hotham R, Lagendijk AK, Hogan BM, Ingham PW, Renshaw SA & Johnston SA (2017) .
  • Gilbert AS, Seoane PI, Sephton-Clark P, Bojarczuk A, Hotham R, Giurisato E, Sarhan AR, Hillen A, Velde GV, Gray NS , Alessi DR et al (2017) . Science Advances, 3(8).
  • Evans RJ, Voelz K, Johnston SA & May RC (2017) . Phagocytosis and Phagosomes(1519), 349-357.
  • Farrer RA, Voelz K, Henk DA, Johnston SA, Fisher MC, May RC & Cuomo CA (2016) . Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences, 371(1709).
  • Dee CT, Nagaraju RT, Athanasiadis EI, Gray C, Fernandez Del Ama L, Johnston SA, Secombes CJ, Cvejic A & Hurlstone AF (2016) . Journal of Immunology, 197(9), 3520-3530.
  • Buckley CM, Gopaldass N, Bosmani C, Johnston SA, Soldati T, Insall RH & King JS (2016) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America , 113(40), E5906-E5915.
  • Bojarczuk A, Miller KA, Hotham R, Lewis A, Ogryzko NV, Kamuyango AA, Frost H, Gibson RH, Stillman E, May RC , Renshaw SA et al (2016) . Scientific Reports, 6.
  • Johnston SA, Voelz K & May RC (2016) . Scientific Reports, 6.
  • Jubrail J, Morris P, Bewley MA, Stoneham S, Johnston SA, Foster SJ, Peden AA, Read RC, Marriott HM & Dockrell DH (2015) . CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY, 18(1), 80-96.
  • Gibson JF & Johnston SA (2015) . Fungal Genetics and Biology, 78, 76-86.
  • Voelz K, Johnston SA, Smith LM, Hall RA, Idnurm A & May RC (2014) . Nature Communications, 5(-), ---.
  • Sabiiti W, Robertson E, Beale MA, Johnston SA, Brouwer AE, Loyse A, Jarvis JN, Gilbert AS, Fisher MC, Harrison TS , May RC et al (2014) . Journal of Clinical Investigation, 124(5), 2000-2008.
  • Johnston SA & May RC (2013) . Cell Microbiol, 15(3), 403-411.
  • Carnell M, Zech T, Calaminus SD, Ura S, Hagedorn M, Johnston SA, May RC, Soldati T, Machesky LM & Insall RH (2011) . Journal of Cell Biology, 193(5), 831-839.
  • Chayakulkeeree M, Johnston SA, Oei JB, Lev S, Williamson PR, Wilson CF, Zuo X, Leal AL, Vainstein MH, Meyer W , Sorrell TC et al (2011) . Molecular Microbiology, 80(4), 1088-1101.
  • Voelz K, Johnston SA, Rutherford JC & May RC (2010) . PLoS One, 5(12), e15968.
  • Johnston SA & May RC (2010) . Plos Pathogens, 6(8), 27-28.
  • Ma H, Hagen F, Stekel DJ, Johnston SA, Sionov E, Falk R, Polacheck I, Boekhout T & May RC (2009) . Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 106(31), 12980-12985.
  • Johnston SA, Bramble JP, Yeung CL, Mendes PM & Machesky LM (2008) . BMC Cell Biol, 9, 65.
  • Machesky LM & Johnston SA (2007) . J Mol Med (Berl), 85(6), 569-576.
  • Legg JA, Bompard G, Dawson J, Morris HL, Andrew N, Cooper L, Johnston SA, Tramountanis G & Machesky LM (2007) . Mol Biol Cell, 18(2), 678-687.
  • Evans RJ, Pline K, Loynes CA, Needs S, Aldrovandi M, Tiefenbach J, Bielska E, Rubino RE, Nicol CJ, May RC , Krause HM et al () . PLOS Pathogens, 16(11), e1009058-e1009058.

Book chapters

  • Chalakova ZP & Johnston SA (2023) , Methods in Molecular Biology (pp. 47-69). Springer US
  • Voelz K, Johnston SA & May RC () , Cryptococcus (pp. 441-450). ASM Press

Conference proceedings

  • Fehri H, Gooya A, Johnston SA & Frangi AF (2017) . Information Processing in Medical Imaging , Vol. 10265 (pp 517-528). Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina

Preprints

  • Norwood JS, Davis JL, Salamaga B, Moss CE, Johnston S, Elks PM, Kiss-Toth E & Mesnage S (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • S JN, L JD, Salamaga B, E CM, Johnston SA, Elks PM, Kiss-Toth E & MESNAGE S (2024) , Wiley.
  • Burgess TB, Hammond FR, Szkuta PT, Lewis A, Christou S, Ayscough KR, Johnston SA, Condliffe AM & Elks PM (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Moss CE, Johnston S, Clements M, Codd V, Hamby S, Goodall AH, Deshmukh S, Sudbery I, Coca D, Wilson HL & Kiss-Toth E (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Christou S, Ayscough KR & Johnston SA (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Pline K & Johnston SA (2020) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Gibson JF, Bojarczuk A, Evans RJ, Kamuyango A, Hotham R, Lagendijk AK, Hogan BM, Ingham PW, Renshaw SA & Johnston SA (2020) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Probert M, Zhou X, Goodall M, Johnston SA, Bielska E, Ballou ER & May RC (2018) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Duvenage L, Walker LA, Bojarczuk A, Johnston SA, McCallum DM, Munro CA & Gourlay CW (2018) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Duvenage L, Walker LA, Bojarczuk A, Johnston SA, MacCallum DM, Munro CA & Gourlay CW (2018) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • van Leeuwen LM, Evans RJ, Jim KK, Verboom T, Fang X, Bojarczuk A, Malicki J, Andrew Johnston S & Marijke van der Sar A (2017) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Bojarczuk A & Johnston SA (2017) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Gibson RH, Evans RJ, Hotham R, Bojarczuk A, Lewis A, Bielska E, May RC, Elks PM, Renshaw SA & Johnston SA (2017) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Evans RJ, Pline K, Loynes CA, Needs S, Aldrovandi M, Tiefenbach J, Bielska E, Rubino RE, Nicol CJ, May RC , Krause HM et al (2017) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

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