Drexel University College of Medicine

Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program B.S, Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Email: michael.edward.johnson@drexel.edu Advisor: Dr. Tom Edlind

Background and Interests:

I am originally from Southborough, Massachusetts, and have spent the majority of my life living in and around the Boston area. I received my B.S. in biology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. After graduation I joined the Peace Corps, leading health based construction projects in rural Guatemala. It was there that I first became interested in microbiology, as I experienced first hand the effects of countless diseases and parasites, many of which I had never even heard of beforehand. Upon returning to the United States, I began work in an ovarian cancer laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where I spent the last three years using DNA and RNA microarrays to identify prognostic biomarkers associated with overall survival, as well as investigating gene pathways associated with tumor progression. This combination of personal experience and an interest in basic laboratory science is what has led me to pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology. After graduation I expect to pursue a career in a pharmaceutical or small biotechnology setting. In my free time I enjoy golf, skiing and travel.