Woman smiling in mountains

Jennifer Johns, DVM, PhD, DACVP

Associate Professor - Clinical Pathology, Erin and Mary Power Endowed Faculty Fellow
Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Johns Lab
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Research
Biography

Education and Professional Training

PhD, Comparative Pathology, University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

Clinical Pathology Residency, University of California Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

DVM, University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

BS, Biology, University of California Los Angeles

Board Certification

Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Pathologists, Clinical Pathology

Honors and Awards

Zoetis Distinguished Faculty Teacher Award 2025

Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence 2023

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Donald Dungworth Graduate Student Travel Award

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, CL Davis Award for Outstanding Pathology Trainee/Graduate Student

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Leslie Shelton Award for Excellence in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine

Research/Career Interests

Work in our lab centers around the biology and clinical application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Our current areas of focus include 1) interactions between MSCs and bacterial pathogens, and the subsequent alterations induced in MSCs; 2) use of MSCs for regenerative medicine applications in domestic animals; and 3) MSC programming (licensing) during inflammatory diseases and potential applications for MSC therapy in immune-mediated diseases in veterinary medicine.

Our lab also continues to work on tick-borne rickettsial infections of domestic animals, particularly granulocytic anaplasmosis caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection and related infections. Additionally, I have an ongoing research interest in hematology and hematopoiesis of laboratory animal and non-mammalian species.

Publications (Google Scholar) 

Publications (ORCiD)