Dr. Johnston is a Professor of Genetics and Development at Columbia University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington Medical Center. Her lab uses Drosophilato study the dynamics of tissue growth and size control in development, during regeneration, and in models of cancer, with a particular emphasis on the role of the Myc oncogene in cooperative and competitive cell behavior. She has been a Scholar of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, an American Cancer Society Research Scholar awardee, and a recipient of the Harold and Golden Lamport Award for Excellence in Basic Science. Dr. Johnston was named a Rita Allen Scholar in 2004. She was elected President of the U.S. National Drosophila Board of Directors for 2016-17 and serves on the editorial advisory board for the journal Development.