http://www.med.uvm.edu/neuro/johnson_lab_homepage
2015-2019 Postdoctoral Associate, University of Vermont, VT
2010-2015 Ph.D. Neuroscience, University of Vermont, VT
2004-2008 B.S. Biology, Neuroscience Concentration, University of Maine, Orono, ME
My primary research interests involve bridging the fields of cerebrovascular biology and neuroscience such that function of cerebrovascular networks can be investigated within the context of hippocampal neuronal network function and memory and cognition. My specific focus is understanding vascular mechanisms by which hypertensive disorders affect hippocampal function, including neuronal network plasticity that may predispose to hippocampal injury to promote dementia. Several aspects of cerebrovascular function are of interest, including reactivity of the small arterioles perfusing the hippocampus, hippocampal hemodynamics, neurovascular coupling, and blood-brain barrier permeability. Disruption of any or a combination of vascular function in the hippocampus could contribute to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia associated with cerebrovascular disease. I am also working with Dr. Marilyn Cipolla to investigate neurovascular mechanisms by which the hypertensive disorder of pregnancy known as preeclampsia may predispose the hippocampus to injury after acute seizures (eclampsia).
1R01 NS127284-01 NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 04/01/22 – 03/31/2027
“The Role of the Hippocampal Vasculature in Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia”
PI: Abbie Chapman Johnson, PhD
American Heart Association Career Development Award 20CDA35310239 07/01/2020-06/30/2023
"Hippocampal Vascular Function in Chronic Hypertension and Post-Stroke Dementia"
PI: Abbie Chapman Johnson, Ph.D.
Mentors: Mark Nelson, Ph.D. and Marilyn J. Cipolla, Ph.D.
2020 Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont Early Career Research Award
2019 Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont Early Career Research Award
2018 Young Investigator Travel Award, International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2017 Outstanding Paper by an Associate Member Award, Perinatal Research Society
2016 Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont Travel Award to attend and Best Oral Presentation at the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy meeting, Sao Paulo, Brazil
2016 Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont Travel Award to attend and Best New Investigator Poster Award at the Society for Reproductive Investigation meeting, Montreal, Canada
2015 NIH Young Investigator, Perinatal Research Society
2014 Zuspan Award, International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy meeting, New Orleans, LA
2014 President’s Presenter Award, Society for Gynecological Investigation meeting, Florence, Italy
Whitaker EE, Johnson AC, Tremble SM, McGinn C, DeLance N, Cipolla MJ (2022): Cerebral Blood Flow Autoregulation in Offspring From Experimentally Preeclamptic Rats and the Effect of Age. Front. Physiol(Online Ahead of Print) https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.924908/full
Johnson AC, Tremble SM, Cipolla MJ. Experimental preeclampsia causes long-lasting hippocampal vascular dysfunction and memory impairment. Front Physiol 2022; doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.889918. Epub 2022 May 9. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.889918/full.
Johnson AC, Uhlig F, Einwag Z, Cataldo N, Erdos B. The neuroendocrine stress response impairs hippocampal vascular function and memory in male and female rats. Neurobiol Dis 2022; doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105717. Epub 2022 April 5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996122001097
Cipolla MJ, Tremble SM, DeLance N, Allison D, Johnson AC. Treatment with apocynin selectively restores hippocampal arteriole function and seizure-induced hyperemia in a model of preeclampsia. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2022; doi: 10.1177/0271678X221080092. Epub 2022 February 9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35137612/.
Whitaker EE, Johnson AC, Miller JE, Lindner DP, Cipolla MJ. Abnormal development of cerebral arteries and veins in offspring of experimentally preeclamptic rats: Potential role in perinatal stroke. Mech Ageing Dev 2021; doi: 10.1016/j.mad.2021.111491. Epub 2021 April 14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33864898/
Johnson AC, Li Z, Orfila JE, Herson PS, Cipolla MJ. Hippocampal network dysfunction as a mechanism of early-onset dementia after preeclampsia and eclampsia. Prog in Neurobiol 2020; doi: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101938. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7925364/
Rosehart AC, Johnson AC, Dabertrand F. Ex vivo pressurized hippocampal capillary-parenchymal arteriole preparation for functional study. Journal of Visualized Experiments 2019 Dec 18(154); doi: 10.3791/60676. https://www.jove.com/v/60676/ex-vivo-pressurized-hippocampal-capillary-parenchymal-arteriole
Johnson AC, Miller JE, Cipolla MJ. Memory impairment in spontaneously hypertensive rats is associated with hippocampal hypoperfusion and hippocampal vascular dysfunction. J Cerebr Blood Flow Metab 2019; doi: 10.1177/0271678X19848510. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31088235/
Johnson AC, Cipolla MJ. Impaired function of cerebral parenchymal arterioles in experimental preeclampsia. Microvasc Res 2018 April 26; 119:64-72. doi:10.1016/j.mvr.2018.04.007. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6005767/
Johnson AC, Hammer ES, Sakkaki S, Tremble SM, Holmes GL, Cipolla MJ. Inhibition of blood-brain barrier efflux transporters promotes seizure in pregnant rats: Role of circulating factors. Brain Behav Immun 2017 July. pii: S0889-1591(17)30233-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.07.017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5696046/
Johnson AC, Cipolla MJ. Altered hippocampal arteriole structure and function in a rat model of preeclampsia: Potential role in impaired seizure-induced hyperemia. J Cerebr Blood Flow Metab 2017; 37(8): 2857-2869. doi: 10.1177/0271678X16676287. Epub 2016 Nov 1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27815419/
Toufexis DJ, Lipatova O, Johnson AC, Abizaid A. Food-restriction lowers the acoustic startle response in both male and female rats, and in combination with acute ghrelin injection, abolishes the expression of fear-potentiated startle in male rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2016 Nov; 28(11). doi: 10.1111/jne.12436. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jne.12436
Johnson AC, Nagle KJ, Tremble SM, Cipolla MJ. The contribution of normal pregnancy to eclampsia. PLoS One 2015; 10(7):e0133953.doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133953. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0133953
Johnson AC, Tremble SM, Chan SL, Moseley J, LaMarca B, Nagle K, Cipolla MJ. Magnesium sulfate treatment reverses seizure susceptibility and decreases neuroinflammation in a rat model of severe preeclampsia. PLoS One 2014; 9(11):e113670.doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113670. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4237502/