Robert J. Johnston, Jr. PhD

Professor of Biology




Key Publications

McNerney, C., Santiago, C.P., Eldred, K.C., Glass, I., Reh, T.A., Hernandez, A., Blackshaw, S., Lord, N.D., and Johnston, R.J., Jr. (2026) DIO3 coordinates photoreceptor development timing and fate stability in human retinal organoids. Genes Dev, 40, 70-93.

Hussey, K.A., Eldred, K.*, Guy, B.*, Santiago, C., Zhang, J.S., Glass, I., Reh, T. A., Blackshaw, S., Goff, L.A., and Johnston, R.J., Jr. (2026) A cell fate specification and transition mechanism for human foveolar cone subtype patterning. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 123, e2510799123.

Zhang, J.S., Guy, B., Santiago, C.P., Tiozzo, C., Sreenath, M., Chen, Y.W., Blackshaw, S., and Johnston, R.J., Jr. (2026) Blocking apoptosis promotes survival and alters developmental dynamics of human retinal ganglion cells in retinal organoids. Cell Reports, 45, 117270.

Hadyniak, S.E., Hagen, J.F.D.*, Eldred, K.C.*, Brenerman, B., Hussey, K.A.,McCoy, R.C., Sauria, M.E.G., Kuchenbecker, J.A., Reh, T., Glass, I., Neitz, M., Neitz, J., Taylor, J., and Johnston, R.J., Jr. (2024) Retinoic acid signaling regulates spatiotemporal specification of human green and red cones. PLoS Biol, 22, e3002464. 

Urban, E.A.*, Chernoff, C.*, Viets-Layng, K., Han, J., Anderson, C., Konzman, D., and Johnston, R.J., Jr. (2023) Activating and repressing gene expression between chromosomes during stochastic fate specification. Cell Reports, 42, 111910. 
 
Voortman, L., Anderson, C., Urban, E., Yuan, M., Tran, S., Neuhaus-Follini, A., Derrick, J., Gregor, T., and Johnston, R.J., Jr. (2022) Temporally dynamic antagonism between transcription and chromatin compaction controls stochastic photoreceptor specification in flies. Dev Cell, 57, 1817-1832.
 

Viets, K., Sauria, M.E.G., Chernoff, C., Rodriguez-Viales, R., Echterling, M., Anderson, C., Tran, S., Dove, A., Goyal, R., Voortman, L., Gordus, A., Furlong, E.E.M., Taylor, J., and Johnston, R.J., Jr. (2019). Characterization of button loci that promote homologous chromosome pairing and cell-type-specific interchromosomal gene regulation. Dev Cell, 51, 341–356.

Eldred, K.C., Hadyniak, S.E., Hussey, K.A., Brenerman, B., Zhang, P., Chamling, X., Sluch, V.M., Welsbie, D.S., Hattar, S., Taylor, J., Wahlin, K., Zack, D.J., andJohnston, R.J., Jr. (2018) Thyroid hormone signaling specifies cone subtypes in human retinal organoids. Science, 362, 6411.

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