Email: jjohns@med.unc.edu

Phone: (919) 843-7732

Fax: (919) 843-5730

Education:

B.A., Psychology, East Carolina University
M.A. Psychology, East Carolina University
Ph.D. Biological Psychology, University of Georgia
Postdoctoral training: Department of Pharmacology, East Carolina University Medical School
Research Fellowship, Brain and Development Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Research Interests:

Dr. Johns studies the effects of drugs of abuse, particularly psychostimulants, on maternal behavior and aggression and how prenatal exposure to drugs alters the behavioral and biological development of offspring in a rodent model. Her research techniques range from behavioral to molecular, which allows her in collaboration with other scientists to examine a problem from many different perspectives. Dr. Johns also collaborates on human research projects looking at hormonal determinants of social/maternal behavior.

Representative Publications:

1. McMurray, M.S., Williams, S.K., Jarrett, T.M.; Cox, E.T.; Fay, E.E.; Overstreet, D.; Walker, C.; Johns, J.M. (2008) Gestational ethanol and nicotine alters maternal behavior, oxytocin levels, and offspring ethanol drinking in rats (epub ahead of print). Neurotoxicology and Teratology, DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2008.07.001.
2. McMurray, M.S., Joyner, P.W., Middleton, C.W., Jarrett, T. M., Elliott, D.L., Black, M.A., Hofler, V.E., Walker, C.H., and Johns, J.M. (2008) Intergenerational effects of cocaine treatment and rearing environment on aggressive behavior and oxytocin in rats (epub ahead of print). Invited Stress, DOI: 10.1080/10253890701850239.
3. McMurray, M.S., Cox, E.T., Jarrett, T.M., Williams, S.K., Walker, C.H., Johns, J.M. (2008) Impact of gestational cocaine treatment or prenatal cocaine exposure on early postpartum oxytocin mRNA levels and receptor binding in the rat (epub ahead of print). Neuropeptides, DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2008.05.003.
4. Johns, J.M., McMurray, M.S., Hofler, V.E., Jarrett, T.M., Middleton, C.L., Elliott, D.L., Mirza, R., Haslup, A., Elliott, J.C., and Walker, C.H. (2007) Cocaine disrupts pup-induced maternal behavior in juvenile and adult rats. Neurotoxicology and Teratology 29: 634-641, DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2007.07.003.
5. Jarrett, T.M., McMurray, M.S., Walker, C.H., and Johns, J.M. (2006) Cocaine treatment alters oxytocin mRNA production and receptor binding in postpartum rat dams. Neuropeptides 40(3): 161-167, DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2006.03.002.