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Tracy L. Johnson

Tracy L. Johnson is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Tracy L. Johnson rather than just read about it. In short: Tracy L. Johnson is an American molecular biologist with expertise in basic mechanism of gene expression through studying RNA.

Key takeaways

  • Tracy L. Johnson belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Tracy L. Johnson to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Tracy L. Johnson from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Tracy L. Johnson is an American molecular biologist with expertise in basic mechanism of gene expression through studying RNA. In addition, Johnson dedicates efforts to include undergraduates from underrepresented groups in scientific research. She holds the Keith and Cecilia Terasaki Presidential Endowed Chair in the Life Sciences and Professor of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In May 2020, she was named Dean of the UCLA Division of Life Sciences.

Research Johnson's first published study examined the effects of intravertebral disc using cell implantation within sand rats. The study focused on a combination of histology, tissue culture, and immunocytochemistry. Her team used this study to determine if these rats were a good model organism for future research to start developing real-world cell therapy interventions. Later, Johnson's research focused on understanding gene regulation, chromatin modification, RNA splicing and how regulating splicing allows cells to respond to their environment. Specifically, her group studied the spliceosome, a macromolecular "machine" made of five subunits that interacts with a pre-messenger RNA to produce an edited version, leading to appropriate translation into proteins. Through her research, Johnson hopes to outline the functions of spliceosomes in RNA splicing in order to discover how mutations may lead to the development of certain illnesses. Utilizing molecular genetic technology, her group provided evidence that spliceosome assembly around a nascent mRNA transcript is regulated by histone modifications in the chromatin of the transcribed region. Johnson has also worked on identifying and developing the structure of tri-snRNPs, a small nuclear ribonucleoprotein found within spliceosomes. These snRNPs position mRNA components in the correct position for splicing. Her work allowed for the visualization of the specific regions of interest on the spliceosome that play key roles in the RNA splicing process. She presented this research to the RNA Society in 2016. While her study of RNA splicing is ongoing, Johnson's 2020 study investigates the role of dopamine in regulating spinal reflexes (ANS), with a focus on how the autonomic nervous system influences this process. The study explores how the presence or absence of the ANS alters the responsiveness of spinal reflexes to dopamine.

Career and education Johnson earned her B.A. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California, San Diego and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. She was a Jane Coffin Childs postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology studying the mechanisms of RNA splicing with Dr. John Abelson. Johnson was a member of the University of California San Diego biological sciences faculty (2003-2013) where she earned many awards, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) and the UCSD Chancellor's Associates Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Johnson joined the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles in 2013 as professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology and holder of the Keith and Cecilia Terasaki Presidential Endowed Chair. In 2014, Johnson was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor which she held through 2014. Johnson was named associate dean for inclusive excellence in the division of life sciences in 2015. She was named Dean of the UCLA Division of Life Sciences in 2020. Johnson has focused on developing programs to create transformative learning experiences for undergraduates including the UCLA-HHMI Pathways to Success Program. The program targets undergraduate students from marginalized groups with a comprehensive strategy to provide students with an authentic research experience early in their academic careers. The program has three key components: (1) A research-based laboratory course which goes by CURL (Collaborative Undergraduate Research Lab), (2) a mentoring network that integrates peer and hierarchical mentoring, and (3) intensive learning communities.

Honors and awards Member of RNA Society American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's Ruth Kirschstein Diversity in Science Award (2022) Maria Rowena Ross Chair of Cell Biology and Biochemistry (2015) Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence, UCLA Life Sciences (2015) Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Professor (2014) Chancellor's Associates Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2013) Top 20 Women Professors in California (2013) Jane Coffin Childs postdoctoral fellowship National Science Foundation (NSF) Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) (2006)

Publications

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tracy L. Johnson

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tracy L. Johnson claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Tracy L. Johnson before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Tracy L. Johnson ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Tracy L. Johnson

In research
Tracy L. Johnson appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Tracy L. Johnson in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Tracy L. Johnson is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 21st-century African-American scientists, 21st-century African-American women, 21st-century American biochemists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Tracy L. Johnson outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Tracy L. Johnson in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Tracy L. Johnson means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Tracy L. Johnson out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tracy L. Johnson in simple terms?

Tracy L. Johnson is an American molecular biologist with expertise in basic mechanism of gene expression through studying RNA.

Why does Tracy L. Johnson matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Tracy L. Johnson?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Tracy L. Johnson.

Tags

  • 21st-century African-American scientists
  • 21st-century African-American women
  • 21st-century American biochemists
  • 21st-century American women biochemists
  • African-American biologists
  • African-American chemists
  • African-American women scientists
  • American university and college faculty deans
  • Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology
  • Living people
  • Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
  • University of California, Berkeley alumni

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