R. Paul Johnson, MD
R. Paul Johnson, MD, is director of the Emory National Primate Research Center (EPC). He leads the center toward helping people across generations and the world live longer, healthier lives. This includes overseeing more than $80 million in research funding, the work of 500 employees and the expert care of 3,400 nonhuman primates.
He is also professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Emory School of Medicine.
Dr. Johnson was elected a 2025 American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow for “seminal contributions to understanding the immune response to HIV, and for national leadership in institutions that have pioneered AIDS-related research and research modeling other human diseases.”
Being an AAAS Fellow is one of the most distinct honors in the scientific community. This accolade underscores Dr. Johnson’s international recognition for his leadership in developing innovative research models and in building effective working relationships with researchers throughout the world. His emphasis on developing groundbreaking research through collaborative relationships aligns perfectly with Emory's work to transform health and healing, and his deeply rooted commitment to expanding knowledge in infectious diseases is a benefit to patients everywhere.
His research has focused on the immunology of HIV and SIV infection, including analysis of the immunopathogenesis of AIDS, development of novel therapeutic strategies for HIV/SIV infection and analysis of protective immunity against AIDS virus infection.
Before joining the EPC, Dr. Johnson served as director of the New England Primate Research Center (NEPRC) and chairman of the NEPRC Division of Immunology. He built an independent, broad-based, collaborative research program at the NEPRC that has had a global impact on a major societal disease and sustained high productivity and NIH funding while continuing clinical activities at Massachusetts General Hospital.
In addition to his research and serving as director of the NEPRC, Dr. Johnson held multiple leadership roles at Harvard Medical School, including professor of medicine at the medical school and Massachusetts General Hospital, director of the Developmental Research Core for the Harvard Center for AIDS Research and associate director of the Harvard Committee on Microbiologic Safety. He has also served as a highly regarded mentor for numerous post-doctoral fellows and graduate students, and taught medical students, residents and fellows within the clinical service of Massachusetts General Hospital and for the Harvard Medical School Virology and Immunology Programs.
"Emory's National Primate Research Center is one of the world's premier scientific centers and has outstanding employees committed to research excellence, scientific advancements and expert animal care," says Dr. Johnson. "The close relationship that exists among the center and the various schools and divisions within the Woodruff Health Sciences Center facilitates tremendous opportunities for collaborative research.
Dr. Johnson is Board Certified in Internal Medicine with a Certification in Infectious Diseases. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, a Fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America and the recipient of multiple national and international awards in AIDS research, including the Elizabeth Glaser Scientist Award. He has published nearly 150 peer-reviewed scientific papers as well as book chapters, monographs and editorials.
Dr. Johnson received his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Duke University and his medical degree at Harvard Medical School. He served as chief resident at Yale-New Haven Hospital and as a clinical and research fellow in infectious disease at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.