Bankole Johnson
Encyclopedia
Bankole A. Johnson, DSc, MD, PhD, MPhil, FRCPsych (born 5 November 1959) is a licensed physician and board-certified psychiatrist
throughout Europe and the United States who currently serves as Alumni Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia
. Johnson’s primary area of research expertise is the psychopharmacology
of medications for treating addictions
, and he is well-known in the field for his discovery that topiramate
, a gamma-aminobutyric acid
(GABA) facilitator and glutamate antagonist, is an effective treatment for alcoholism
. Professor Johnson also received national media attention for his appearance in the Home Box Office (HBO) original documentary feature, “Addiction”, which won the prestigious Governors Award, a special Emmy Award
, from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
.
in Scotland in 1982 with a Medicinae Baccalaureum et Chirurgie Baccalaureum degree, the equivalent of an M.D. He went on to train in psychiatry at the Royal London and Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Hospitals, and to train in research at the Institute of Psychiatry (University of London
). In 1991, Johnson graduated from the University of London with a Master of Philosophy degree in neuropsychiatry
. Johnson conducted his doctoral research at Oxford University and obtained his Ph.D. equivalent in biomedical sciences from the University of Glasgow in 1993. Most recently, in 2004, Johnson earned his Doctor of Science degree in medicine from the University of Glasgow – the highest degree that can be granted in science by a British university.
Johnson joined the faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston in 1993 and later became the Deputy Chairman for Research and Chief of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Addiction in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio in 1998. In 2001, Johnson received the Dan Anderson Research Award from the Hazelden Foundation for his “distinguished contribution as a researcher who has advanced the scientific knowledge of addiction recovery.” In 2002, Johnson received the Distinguished Senior Scholar of Distinction Award from the National Medical Association
. Johnson was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame in 2003 for his contributions to science, mathematics, and technology. On September 1, 2004, Johnson accepted an appointment to serve as Alumni Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatric Medicine at the University of Virginia. Johnson became a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
in 2007. In 2009 Johnson was named Associate Editor of the Editorial Board of The American Journal of Psychiatry and also named Editor-in-Chief of Frontiers in Psychiatry.
of addiction. His work integrates the neuroscience and behavioral aspects of addiction medicine with the goal of formulating a more thorough understanding of the basis of drug-seeking behavior and developing effective treatments. Central to his research is the role of and interaction between midbrain monoamine systems with a focus on serotonin
, gamma-aminobutyric acid
(GABA)/glutamate and dopamine
.
Johnson’s Journal of the American Medical Association
(JAMA) paper, titled “Topiramate for treating alcohol dependence: a randomized controlled trial
” and published in 2007, gained national and international media attention. The 14-week U.S. multi-site clinical trial involved 371 male and female alcoholics. Those patients taking topiramate had reduced heavy drinking and showed better results with lowering cholesterol
, body mass index, liver enzymes, and blood pressure than those taking the placebo. The study results were featured on Reuters, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, Fox News, USA Today, the Associated Press, and many other media outlets.
Johnson’s current research involves clinical trials and human laboratory studies, and includes neuroimaging
and molecular genetics
. He now incorporates neuroimaging evaluations into his drug interaction studies to identify the site-specific effects of abused drugs and to evaluate the effectiveness of potential medications for the treatment of addiction. Current studies include a clinical trial aimed at determining the effectiveness of ondansetron, a serotonin-3 antagonist, for the treatment of subtypes of alcoholics, as well as a human laboratory project trying to elucidate the effects of naltrexone
and acamprosate
on hepatic and renal function in alcohol-dependent individuals.
1. Johnson BA, Campling GM, Griffiths P, et al. (1993) Attenuation of some alcohol-induced mood changes and the desire to drink by 5-HT3 receptor blockade: a preliminary study in healthy male volunteers. Psychopharmacology 112, 142-144.
2. Johnson BA, Jasinski DR, Galloway GP, et al. (1996) Ritanserin in the treatment of alcohol dependence—a multi-center clinical trial. Psychopharmacology 128, 206-215.
3. Chen YR, Swann AC, Johnson BA. (1998) Stability of diagnosis in bipolar disorder. J Nerv Ment Dis 186, 17-23.
4. Johnson BA, Ait-Daoud N. (2000) Neuropharmacological treatments for alcoholism: scientific basis and clinical findings. Psychopharmacology 149, 327-344.
5. Johnson BA, Ait-Daoud N, Prihoda TJ. (2000) Combining ondansetron and naltrexone effectively treats biologically predisposed alcoholics: from hypotheses to preliminary clinical evidence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 24, 737-742.
6. Johnson BA, Roache JD, Javors MA, et al. (2000) Ondansetron for reduction of drinking among biologically predisposed alcoholic patients: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 284, 963-971.
7. Johnson BA, Ait-Daoud N, Bowden CL, et al. (2003) Oral topiramate for treatment of alcohol dependence: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 361, 1677-1685.
8. Johnson BA, Ait-Daoud N, Akhtar FZ, et al. (2004) Oral topiramate reduces the consequences of drinking and improves the quality of life of alcohol-dependent individuals: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry 61, 905-912.
9. Anton RF, O’Malley SS, Ciraulo DA, Cisler RA, Couper D, Donovan DM, Gastfriend DR, Hosking JD, Johnson BA, et al. (2006) Combined pharmacotherapies and behavioral interventions for alcohol dependence: The COMBINE Study: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 295, 2003-2017.
10. Johnson BA, Rosenthal N, Capece JA, et al. (2007) Topiramate for treating alcohol dependence: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 298, 1641-1651.
11. Johnson, B.A. (Ed.): Addiction Medicine: Science and Practice, Springer Science+Business
Media, New York, 2010.
The Excelsior Program: http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/psychiatry/patients/excelsior
HBO Addiction Film Series: “Addiction”: http://www.hbo.com/addiction/thefilm/centerpiece/618_segment_7.html
Frontiers in Psychiatry: http://frontiersin.org/psychiatry/psychiatry/missionstatement/
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
throughout Europe and the United States who currently serves as Alumni Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. Johnson’s primary area of research expertise is the psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology is the scientific study of the actions of drugs and their effects on mood, sensation, thinking, and behavior...
of medications for treating addictions
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
, and he is well-known in the field for his discovery that topiramate
Topiramate
Topiramate is an anticonvulsant drug. It was originally produced by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics and Noramco, Inc., both divisions of the Johnson & Johnson Corporation. This medication was discovered in 1979 by Bruce E. Maryanoff and Joseph F. Gardocki during their research work at McNeil...
, a gamma-aminobutyric acid
Gamma-aminobutyric acid
γ-Aminobutyric acid is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It plays a role in regulating neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system...
(GABA) facilitator and glutamate antagonist, is an effective treatment for alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. Professor Johnson also received national media attention for his appearance in the Home Box Office (HBO) original documentary feature, “Addiction”, which won the prestigious Governors Award, a special Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences was founded in 1946, just one month after network television was born. It is a nonprofit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunications arts and sciences and to fostering creative leadership in the telecommunications industry...
.
Biography
Johnson was born on November 5, 1959 in Nigeria. Johnson attended King’s College in Lagos, Nigeria and received his diploma in 1975. He then went on to Davies’ College in Sussex, England followed by the Institute Catholique de Paris in Paris, France. Johnson graduated from the University of GlasgowUniversity of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
in Scotland in 1982 with a Medicinae Baccalaureum et Chirurgie Baccalaureum degree, the equivalent of an M.D. He went on to train in psychiatry at the Royal London and Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Hospitals, and to train in research at the Institute of Psychiatry (University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
). In 1991, Johnson graduated from the University of London with a Master of Philosophy degree in neuropsychiatry
Neuropsychiatry
Neuropsychiatry is the branch of medicine dealing with mental disorders attributable to diseases of the nervous system. It preceded the current disciplines of psychiatry and neurology, in as much as psychiatrists and neurologists had a common training....
. Johnson conducted his doctoral research at Oxford University and obtained his Ph.D. equivalent in biomedical sciences from the University of Glasgow in 1993. Most recently, in 2004, Johnson earned his Doctor of Science degree in medicine from the University of Glasgow – the highest degree that can be granted in science by a British university.
Johnson joined the faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston in 1993 and later became the Deputy Chairman for Research and Chief of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Addiction in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio in 1998. In 2001, Johnson received the Dan Anderson Research Award from the Hazelden Foundation for his “distinguished contribution as a researcher who has advanced the scientific knowledge of addiction recovery.” In 2002, Johnson received the Distinguished Senior Scholar of Distinction Award from the National Medical Association
National Medical Association
The National Medical Association is the largest and oldest national organization representing African American physicians and their patients in the United States...
. Johnson was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame in 2003 for his contributions to science, mathematics, and technology. On September 1, 2004, Johnson accepted an appointment to serve as Alumni Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatric Medicine at the University of Virginia. Johnson became a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom responsible for representing psychiatrists, psychiatric research and providing public information about mental health problems...
in 2007. In 2009 Johnson was named Associate Editor of the Editorial Board of The American Journal of Psychiatry and also named Editor-in-Chief of Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Research
Johnson’s research focus is on the neuropsychopharmacologyNeuropsychopharmacology
Neuropsychopharmacology is an interdisciplinary science related to psychopharmacology and fundamental neuroscience...
of addiction. His work integrates the neuroscience and behavioral aspects of addiction medicine with the goal of formulating a more thorough understanding of the basis of drug-seeking behavior and developing effective treatments. Central to his research is the role of and interaction between midbrain monoamine systems with a focus on serotonin
Serotonin
Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...
, gamma-aminobutyric acid
Gamma-aminobutyric acid
γ-Aminobutyric acid is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It plays a role in regulating neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system...
(GABA)/glutamate and dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
.
Johnson’s Journal of the American Medical Association
Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association is a weekly, peer-reviewed, medical journal, published by the American Medical Association. Beginning in July 2011, the editor in chief will be Howard C. Bauchner, vice chairman of pediatrics at Boston University’s School of Medicine, replacing ...
(JAMA) paper, titled “Topiramate for treating alcohol dependence: a randomized controlled trial
Randomized controlled trial
A randomized controlled trial is a type of scientific experiment - a form of clinical trial - most commonly used in testing the safety and efficacy or effectiveness of healthcare services or health technologies A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is a type of scientific experiment - a form of...
” and published in 2007, gained national and international media attention. The 14-week U.S. multi-site clinical trial involved 371 male and female alcoholics. Those patients taking topiramate had reduced heavy drinking and showed better results with lowering cholesterol
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a complex isoprenoid. Specifically, it is a waxy steroid of fat that is produced in the liver or intestines. It is used to produce hormones and cell membranes and is transported in the blood plasma of all mammals. It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes...
, body mass index, liver enzymes, and blood pressure than those taking the placebo. The study results were featured on Reuters, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, Fox News, USA Today, the Associated Press, and many other media outlets.
Johnson’s current research involves clinical trials and human laboratory studies, and includes neuroimaging
Neuroimaging
Neuroimaging includes the use of various techniques to either directly or indirectly image the structure, function/pharmacology of the brain...
and molecular genetics
Molecular genetics
Molecular genetics is the field of biology and genetics that studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level. The field studies how the genes are transferred from generation to generation. Molecular genetics employs the methods of genetics and molecular biology...
. He now incorporates neuroimaging evaluations into his drug interaction studies to identify the site-specific effects of abused drugs and to evaluate the effectiveness of potential medications for the treatment of addiction. Current studies include a clinical trial aimed at determining the effectiveness of ondansetron, a serotonin-3 antagonist, for the treatment of subtypes of alcoholics, as well as a human laboratory project trying to elucidate the effects of naltrexone
Naltrexone
Naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist used primarily in the management of alcohol dependence and opioid dependence. It is marketed in generic form as its hydrochloride salt, naltrexone hydrochloride, and marketed under the trade names Revia and Depade...
and acamprosate
Acamprosate
Acamprosate, also known as N-acetyl homotaurine and by the brand name Campral, is a drug used for treating alcohol dependence.Acamprosate is thought to stabilize the chemical balance in the brain that would otherwise be disrupted by alcoholism, possibly by blocking glutamatergic...
on hepatic and renal function in alcohol-dependent individuals.
Honors and awards
- Inductee, Texas Hall of Fame for Science, Mathematics and Technology, 2003
- Appointed to the National Advisory Council for NIH/NIDA, 2004 – present
- Member, Medications Development Subcommittee of NIDA’s Advisory Council on Drug Abuse, 2004 – present
- Member, Extramural Advisory Board for NIH/NIAAA, 2004 – present
- Member, Medications Development Scientific Advisory Board for NIH/NIDA, 2005 – present
- American Psychiatric Association Distinguished Psychiatrist Lecturer Award, 2006 (for outstanding achievement in the field of psychiatry as an educator, researcher, and clinician)
- NIH Roadmap Consultant, 2006 – present
- Listed in "Best Doctors in America", 2007, 2009
- Fellow, Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2007 – present
- Distinguished Fellow, American psychiatric Association, 2008 – present
- American Psychiatric Association, Solomon Carter Fuller Award, 2009
Selected bibliography
h-index = 50 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-index and http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v436/n7053/full/436900a.html)1. Johnson BA, Campling GM, Griffiths P, et al. (1993) Attenuation of some alcohol-induced mood changes and the desire to drink by 5-HT3 receptor blockade: a preliminary study in healthy male volunteers. Psychopharmacology 112, 142-144.
2. Johnson BA, Jasinski DR, Galloway GP, et al. (1996) Ritanserin in the treatment of alcohol dependence—a multi-center clinical trial. Psychopharmacology 128, 206-215.
3. Chen YR, Swann AC, Johnson BA. (1998) Stability of diagnosis in bipolar disorder. J Nerv Ment Dis 186, 17-23.
4. Johnson BA, Ait-Daoud N. (2000) Neuropharmacological treatments for alcoholism: scientific basis and clinical findings. Psychopharmacology 149, 327-344.
5. Johnson BA, Ait-Daoud N, Prihoda TJ. (2000) Combining ondansetron and naltrexone effectively treats biologically predisposed alcoholics: from hypotheses to preliminary clinical evidence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 24, 737-742.
6. Johnson BA, Roache JD, Javors MA, et al. (2000) Ondansetron for reduction of drinking among biologically predisposed alcoholic patients: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 284, 963-971.
7. Johnson BA, Ait-Daoud N, Bowden CL, et al. (2003) Oral topiramate for treatment of alcohol dependence: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 361, 1677-1685.
8. Johnson BA, Ait-Daoud N, Akhtar FZ, et al. (2004) Oral topiramate reduces the consequences of drinking and improves the quality of life of alcohol-dependent individuals: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry 61, 905-912.
9. Anton RF, O’Malley SS, Ciraulo DA, Cisler RA, Couper D, Donovan DM, Gastfriend DR, Hosking JD, Johnson BA, et al. (2006) Combined pharmacotherapies and behavioral interventions for alcohol dependence: The COMBINE Study: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 295, 2003-2017.
10. Johnson BA, Rosenthal N, Capece JA, et al. (2007) Topiramate for treating alcohol dependence: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 298, 1641-1651.
11. Johnson, B.A. (Ed.): Addiction Medicine: Science and Practice, Springer Science+Business
Media, New York, 2010.
External links
University of Virginia: http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/psychiatric/staffandfaculty/research.cfm?uva_id=bj4x&hideintro=1The Excelsior Program: http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/psychiatry/patients/excelsior
HBO Addiction Film Series: “Addiction”: http://www.hbo.com/addiction/thefilm/centerpiece/618_segment_7.html
Frontiers in Psychiatry: http://frontiersin.org/psychiatry/psychiatry/missionstatement/