Dr Ian Johnson is a senior research fellow (adjunct) at UniSA Clinical & Health Sciences. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer and developing novel biomarkers and therapeutics for this disease. He also investigates the effects of microgravity on cellular physiology and disease pathogenesis.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Dr Johnson’s research aims to identify new biomarkers that can improve the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of prostate cancer patients. He uses a range of techniques, including proteomics, immunohistochemistry, microscopy and cell biology, to study the changes in endosome and lysosome ... Read more
About me
Dr Ian Johnson is a senior research fellow (adjunct) at UniSA Clinical & Health Sciences. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer and developing novel biomarkers and therapeutics for this disease. He also investigates the effects of microgravity on cellular physiology and disease pathogenesis.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Dr Johnson’s research aims to identify new biomarkers that can improve the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of prostate cancer patients. He uses a range of techniques, including proteomics, immunohistochemistry, microscopy and cell biology, to study the changes in endosome and lysosome biology that occur during prostate cancer progression. Endosomes and lysosomes are membrane-bound organelles that regulate various cellular functions, such as signalling, trafficking, metabolism, and degradation. Dr Johnson has discovered that altered endosome and lysosome biogenesis and function are associated with prostate cancer aggressiveness and patient outcome. He has also developed novel monoclonal antibodies that recognise spatially distinct epitopes on endosomal proteins and can be used as diagnostic tools or therapeutic agents.
Dr Johnson is also interested in exploring the effects of microgravity on cellular physiology and disease pathogenesis. Microgravity is a unique environment that can induce profound changes in cellular structure and function, such as altered gene expression, cytoskeleton organisation, membrane trafficking, metabolism and differentiation. These changes can have implications for human health and disease, especially during long-term space missions. Dr Johnson uses Random Positioning Machines (RPMs) to simulate microgravity conditions on Earth and investigates how microgravity affects endosome and lysosome biology in various cell types, such as prostate cancer cells.
Dr Johnson has published more than 29 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals, such as The Journal of Pathology, Molecular Cancer Research, Cancers and International Journal of Molecular Sciences. He has also published patents on methods for detecting prostate cancer and other cancers using endosomal markers. He has received several awards and grants for his research, including the John Mills Young Investigator Award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, the Best Oral Presentation Award from the BLiSS*Adelaide EMCR Collaborative Symposium, and a Cell Culture Hero Award from Gibco™ Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Dr Johnson is actively involved in teaching and supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students. He is currently co-supervising five PhD students and has supervised several honours students and vacation research scholars. He is also a guest lecturer for cancer biology courses at UniSA. He is a member of the Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine, the Freemasons Centre for Men’s Health, the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Australian Society for Medical Research. He serves as a reviewer board member for Cancers journal and a guest editor for Life journal and Frontiers in Physiology journal. He also engages with various stakeholders, such as consumers, industry partners, media outlets and government agencies, to disseminate his research findings and promote space biomedicine in Australia.
About me
Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine
About me
Doctor of Philosophy University of South Australia
Bachelor of Science(Honours) University of Birmingham
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Diagnostic and prognostic biomarker test for prostate cancer, EnVision Sciences Pty Ltd, 01/01/2017 - 30/10/2018
Altered endosome trafficking in prostate cancer, PCFA Research Program, 01/01/2017 - 31/12/2017
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID, ResearcherID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
Year | Output |
---|---|
2024 |
Open access
1
|
2023 |
Open access
|
2023 |
3
1
|
2023 |
Open access
1
|
2023 |
Open access
2
1
|
2023 |
Open access
2
|
2023 |
Open access
5
122
|
2023 |
Open access
10
3
84
|
2023 |
Open access
2
|
2023 |
Open access
3
|
2022 |
Open access
29
13
1
|
2022 |
Open access
7
4
2
|
2022 |
Open access
3
42
|
2020 |
Open access
4
1
|
2019 |
1
|
2019 |
Open access
4
2
2
|
2018 |
Open access
29
24
3
|
2018 |
Open access
21
1
|
2018 |
Open access
30
5
|
2018 |
Open access
30
21
9
|
2016 |
27
20
4
|
2015 |
Open access
35
33
2
|
2015 |
Open access
32
25
11
|
2014 |
18
13
1
|
2014 |
Open access
32
26
11
|
Research
Details | Registry | Status |
---|---|---|
Methods for detecting prostate cancer Brooks, Doug; Parkinson-Lawrence, Emma; Johnson, Ian; Butler, Lisa; Weigert, Roberto |
AU | Filed |
Methods for detecting prostate cancer Brooks, Doug; Parkinson-Lawrence, Emma; Johnson, Ian; Butler, Lisa; Weigert, Roberto |
EP | Filed |
Methods for detecting prostate cancer Brooks, Doug; Parkinson-Lawrence, Emma; Johnson, Ian; Butler, Lisa; Weigert, Roberto |
SG | Filed |
Methods for detecting prostate cancer Brooks, Doug; Parkinson-Lawrence, Emma; Johnson, Ian; Butler, Lisa; Weigert, Roberto |
US | Filed |
Methods for detecting prostate cancer Brooks, Doug; Parkinson-Lawrence, Emma; Johnson, Ian; Butler, Lisa; Weigert, Roberto |
WO | Filed |
Gibco™ Cell Culture Hero - Webinar March 2019.
External engagement & recognition
Organisation | Country |
---|---|
Aarhus University | DENMARK |
Austin Health | AUSTRALIA |
Children's Hospital Los Angeles | UNITED STATES |
Curtin University | AUSTRALIA |
Deakin University | AUSTRALIA |
Flinders Medical Centre | AUSTRALIA |
Flinders University | AUSTRALIA |
German Aerospace Center | GERMANY |
La Trobe University | AUSTRALIA |
Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts | SWITZERLAND |
Malaghan Institute of Medical Research | NEW ZEALAND |
Monash University | AUSTRALIA |
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development | UNITED STATES |
National Research Council of Italy | ITALY |
NIDCR | UNITED STATES |
Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg | GERMANY |
Queensland University of Technology | AUSTRALIA |
RMIT University | AUSTRALIA |
South Australian Health and Medical and Research Institute (SAHMRI) | AUSTRALIA |
The Coombe Hospital | IRELAND |
Trinity College Dublin | IRELAND |
University College Dublin | IRELAND |
University Hospital Magdeburg | GERMANY |
University of Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
University of Bologna | ITALY |
University of British Columbia | CANADA |
University of Dublin | IRELAND |
University of Melbourne | AUSTRALIA |
University of Queensland | AUSTRALIA |
University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
University of Sydney | AUSTRALIA |
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research | AUSTRALIA |
External engagement & recognition
Engagement/recognition | Year |
---|---|
AwardThe Freemasons Foundation |
2014 |
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
Thesis title | Student status |
---|---|
111081 - Introducing a new paradigm for specific targeting of ovarian cancer cells with engineered nanoparticles, using G protein-coupled receptors as molecular entry points | Current |
Defining critical changes in lipid metabolism during prostate cancer progression | Current |
The role of membrane trafficking in prostate cancer metastasis | Current |
The roles of molecular machinery in androgen receptor trafficking and development of prostate cancer | Current |
Development of monoclonal antibody targeted therapeutics for prostate cancer | Completed |