Christopher Johnston, PHD
Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Affiliate Research Investigator, Division of Cancer Medicine, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
Director of Microbial Genomics, Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Associate Professor, Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2013 | Cork Institute of Technology, IE, Molecular Microbiology, Ph.D |
| 2008 | Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), IE, Applied Biosciences, Cell and Molecular Biology, BSc |
Postgraduate Training
| 2014-2016 | Postgraduate Fellow, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts |
| 2013-2016 | Postdoctoral Fellow, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Affiliate Assistant Professor, Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 2023 - 2024
Assistant Professor, Department of Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, 2019 - 2024
Assistant Member of Staff (tenure track), The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2018 - 2019
Research Investigator, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2016 - 2018
Other Appointments/Responsibilities
Consultant, Seres Therapeutics, 2019 - Present
Consultant, Azitra Inc, 2019 - Present
Institutional Committee Activities
ad hoc, NIH Research Enhancement Award (R15) in Oncological Sciences panel review committee member, 2024 - Present
Member, Genomic Medicine Department Wellness Champion, 2024 - Present
Ad Hoc, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) High Impact, Interdisciplinary Science review committee, 2023 - Present
Contributor, Invited Contributor, Surgeon General Report: Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges, National Institutes of Health. US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, 2021 - Present
Advisor, VIDD Faculty Advisory Committee, 2021 - 2024
Member, VIDD Steering Committee, 2021 - 2024
Moderator, Invited Moderator, Boston Bacterial Meeting (BBM) 2018. Session: Microbial Engineering, 2018 - Present
Member, Institutional Research Committee, 2017 - 2019
Member, Resources Oversight Committee, 2017 - 2019
Chair, Institutional Biosafety Committee, 2017 - 2019
President, Staff Council President, 2016 - 2017
Ad Hoc Reviewer, Nature Methods, Nature Communications, PLoS Pathogens, Journal of Bacteriology, Msystems, Genome Biology, PLoS ONE, ASM Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 2014 - 2024
Honors & Awards
| 2024 - Present | Microbiome Accelerator, Nature |
| 2023 | High Impact Interdisciplinary Science review Committee Member, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) |
| 2021 | Invited Contributor, Surgeon General Report: Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research |
| 2020 - 2024 | Medical Research Awardee, W. M. Keck Foundation |
| 2020 - 2022 | Director’s Transformative Research Awardee, National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
| 2019 | Director's Transformative Research Awardee, National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
| 2018 | Director' Transformative Research Awardee, National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
| 2018 | Invited Moderator, Boston Bacterial Meeting (BBM) 2018. Session: Microbial Engineering |
| 2017 | Director's Trnsformative Research Awardee, National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
| 2012 | Speaker Travel Award 22nd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, ECCMID, London, England |
| 2012 | Travel Award, Society for General Microbiology (SGM) Spring Conference |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Zepeda-Rivera MA, Dewhirst FE, Bullman S, Johnston CD. Addressing controversy in Fusobacterium nomenclature: what exactly does "F. nucleatum" refer to?. Gut Microbes 17(1):2514797, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40464118.
- Zepeda-Rivera MA, Eisele Y, Baryiames A, Wu H, Mengoni C, Piccinno G, McMahon EF, LaCourse KD, Jones DS, Hauner H, Minot SS, Segata N, Dewhirst FE, Johnston CD, Bullman S. Fusobacterium sphaericum sp. nov., isolated from a human colon tumor adheres to colonic epithelial cells and induces IL-8 secretion. Gut Microbes 17(1):2442522, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39722539.
- Zepeda-Rivera MA, Ponath F, Lewis KN, Gavate RP, Dewhirst FE, Tomida J, Kawamura Y, Tanaka K, Bullman S, Johnston CD. Complete genome sequences of Fusobacterium watanabei sp. isolates. bioRxiv, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40196618.
- Bouzek H, Srinivasan S, Jones DS, McMahon EF, Strenk SM, Fiedler TL, Fredricks DN, Johnston CD. A Syntenic Pangenome for Gardnerella Reveals Taxonomic Boundaries and Stratification of Metabolic and Virulence Potential across Species. bioRxiv, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40027674.
- Johnston CD, Wargo JA. Engineering immunity: bacterial delivery of cancer neoantigen vaccines. Trends Immunol 45(12):931-933, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39603891.
- Zepeda-Rivera MA, Eisele Y, Baryiames A, Wu H, Mengoni C, Piccinno G, McMahon EF, LaCourse KD, Jones DS, Hauner H, Minot SS, Segata N, Dewhirst FE, Johnston CD, Bullman S. Fusobacterium sphaericum sp. nov. , isolated from a human colon tumor, adheres to colonic epithelial cells and induces IL-8 secretion. bioRxiv, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 37398369.
- Zepeda Rivera, M, Minot, SS, Bouzek, H, Wu, H, Blanco-Míguez, A, Manghi, P, Jones, DS, LaCourse, KD, Wu, Y, McMahon, EF, Park, SN, Lim, YK, Kempchinsky, AG, Willis, AD, Cotton, SL, Yost, SC, Sicinska, E, Kook, JK, Dewhirst, FE, Segata, N, Bullman, S, Johnston, CD. A distinct Fusobacterium nucleatum clade dominates the colorectal cancer niche. Nature 628(8007):424-432, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38509359.
- Johnston CD, Bullman S. Bacteria-derived L-lactate fuels cervical cancer chemoradiotherapy resistance. Trends Cancer 10(2):97-99, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38242824.
- Johnston, CD, Goetting-Minesky, MP, Kennedy, K, Godovikova, V, Zayed, SM, Roberts, RJ, Fenno, JC. Enhanced transformation efficiency in Treponema denticola enabled by SyngenicDNA-based plasmids lacking restriction–modification target motifs. Molecular Oral Microbiology 38(6):455-470, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37880921.
- Galeano Niño, JL, Wu, H, LaCourse, KD, Srinivasan, H, Fitzgibbon, M, Minot, SS, Sather, C, Johnston, CD, Bullman, S. INVADEseq to identify cell-adherent or invasive bacteria and the associated host transcriptome at single-cell-level resolution. Nature protocols 18(11):3355-3389, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37789194.
- Grabner, E, Stare, E, Fanedl, L, Zorec, M, Jones, DS, Johnston, CD, Avguštin, G, Accetto, T. Expanding the rumen Prevotella collection. Systematic and Applied Microbiology 46(4), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37295348.
- O'Brien VP, Jackson LK, Frick JP, Rodriguez Martinez AE, Jones DS, Johnston CD, Salama NR. Helicobacter pylori Chronic Infection Selects for Effective Colonizers of Metaplastic Glands. mBio 14(1):e0311622, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36598261.
- Galeano Niño, JL, Wu, H, LaCourse, KD, Kempchinsky, AG, Baryiames, AA, Barber, B, Futran, N, Houlton, J, Sather, C, Sicinska, E, Taylor, A, Minot, SS, Johnston, CD, Bullman, S. Effect of the intratumoral microbiota on spatial and cellular heterogeneity in cancer. Nature 611(7937):810-817, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36385528.
- LaCourse, KD, Zepeda Rivera, M, Kempchinsky, AG, Baryiames, AA, Minot, SS, Johnston, CD, Bullman, S. The cancer chemotherapeutic 5-fluorouracil is a potent Fusobacterium nucleatum inhibitor and its activity is modified by intratumoral microbiota. Cell Reports 41(7), 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36384132.
- Rosconi, F, Rudmann, E, Li, J, Surujon, D, Anthony, J, Frank, M, Jones, DS, Rock, CO, Rosch, JW, Johnston, CD, van Opijnen, T. A bacterial pan-genome makes gene essentiality strain-dependent and evolvable. Nature microbiology 7(10):1580-1592, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36097170.
- Stepanovica, M, Zepeda Rivera, M, McGlinchey, AS, Baryiames, AA, Jones, DS, LaCourse, KD, Bullman, S, Johnston, CD. Complete Genome Sequence of Morganella morganii CTX51T, Isolated from a Human Cecal Adenocarcinoma. Microbiology Resource Announcements 11(4), 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35254123.
- McGlinchey, AS, Zepeda Rivera, M, Stepanovica, M, Baryiames, AA, Jones, DS, LaCourse, KD, Bullman, S, Johnston, CD. Complete Genome Sequence of Clostridium cadaveris IFB3C5, Isolated from a Human Colonic Adenocarcinoma. Microbiology Resource Announcements 11(3), 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35234492.
- Ouellette, M, Bejian, AA, Chen, T, Jones, DS, Johnston, CD, Dewhirst, FE. Complete Genome Sequence of Arachnia rubra Strain DSM 100122T, a Cultured Member of the Human Oral Microbiome. Microbiology Resource Announcements 10(48), 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34854708.
- Ramos, SF, Brugger, SD, Escapa, IF, Skeete, CA, Cotton, SL, Eslami, SM, Gao, W, Bomar, L, Tran, TH, Jones, DS, Minot, SS, Roberts, RJ, Johnston, CD, Lemon, KP. Genomic Stability and Genetic Defense Systems in Dolosigranulum pigrum, a Candidate Beneficial Bacterium from the Human Microbiome. mSystems 6(5), 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34546072.
- LaCourse, KD, Johnston, CD, Bullman, S. The relationship between gastrointestinal cancers and the microbiota. The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology 6(6):498-509, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33743198.
- Deptula P, Laine P, Paulin L, Auvinen P, Roberts RJ, Johnston CD, Varmanen P. Complete Genome Sequences and Methylome Analyses of Cutibacterium acnes subsp. acnes Strains DSM 16379 and DSM 1897(T). Microbiol Resour Announc 9(29), 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32675190.
- Bor B, Collins AJ, Murugkar PP, Balasubramanian S, To TT, Hendrickson EL, Bedree JK, Bidlack FB, Johnston CD, Shi W, McLean JS, He X, Dewhirst FE. Insights Obtained by Culturing Saccharibacteria With Their Bacterial Hosts. J Dent Res 99(6):685-694, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32075512.
- Johnston CD, Cotton SL, Rittling SR, Starr JR, Borisy GG, Dewhirst FE, Lemon KP. Systematic evasion of the restriction-modification barrier in bacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 116(23):11454-11459, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31097593.
- Juarez JF, Lecube-Azpeitia B, Brown SL, Johnston CD, Church GM. Biosensor libraries harness large classes of binding domains for construction of allosteric transcriptional regulators. Nat Commun 9(1):3101, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30082754.
- Singh R, Hui T, Matsui A, Allahem Z, Johnston CD, Ruiz-Torruella M, Rittling SR. Modulation of infection-mediated migration of neutrophils and CXCR2 trafficking by osteopontin. Immunology 150(1):74-86, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 27599164.
- Johnston CD, Skeete CA, Fomenkov A, Roberts RJ, Rittling SR. Restriction-modification mediated barriers to exogenous DNA uptake and incorporation employed by Prevotella intermedia. PLoS One 12(9):e0185234, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28934361.
- Endersen L, Guinane CM, Johnston C, Neve H, Coffey A, Ross RP, McAuliffe O, O'Mahony J. Genome analysis of Cronobacter phage vB_CsaP_Ss1 reveals an endolysin with potential for biocontrol of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. J Gen Virol 96(Pt 2):463-477, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25371517.
- Matsui A, Jin JO, Johnston CD, Yamazaki H, Houri-Haddad Y, Rittling SR. Pathogenic bacterial species associated with endodontic infection evade innate immune control by disabling neutrophils. Infect Immun 82(10):4068-79, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25024367.
- Feeney A, Johnston CD, Govender R, O'Mahony J, Coffey A, Sleator RD. Analysis of the role of the Cronobacter sakazakii ProP homologues in osmotolerance. Gut Pathog 6:15, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24910715.
- Johnston CD, Bannantine JP, Govender R, Endersen L, Pletzer D, Weingart H, Coffey A, O'Mahony J, Sleator RD. Enhanced expression of codon optimized Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis antigens in Lactobacillus salivarius. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 4:120, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25237653.
- Feeney A, Johnston CD, Lucid A, O'Mahony J, Coffey A, Lucey B, Sleator RD. The role of the Cronobacter sakazakii ProP C-terminal coiled coil domain in osmotolerance. Gut Pathog 6(1):46, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25530808.
- Johnston C, Douarre PE, Soulimane T, Pletzer D, Weingart H, MacSharry J, Coffey A, Sleator RD, O'Mahony J. Codon optimisation to improve expression of a Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis-specific membrane-associated antigen by Lactobacillus salivarius. Pathog Dis 68(1):27-38, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23620276.
- Johnston C, Coffey A, O' Mahony J, Sleator RD. Development of a novel oral vaccine against Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis and Johne disease: a patho-biotechnological approach. Bioeng Bugs 1(3):155-63, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 21326921.
Other Articles
- Grabner, E, Stare, E, Fanedl, L, Zorec, M, Jones, DS, Johnston, CD, Avguštin, G, Accetto, T Corrigendum to “Expanding the rumen Prevotella collection. Systematic and Applied Microbiology 46(5), 2023. PMID: 37669882.
- Johnston, CD, Bullman, S The tumour-associated microbiome. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology 19(6):347-348, 2022. PMID: 35361914.
- Bullman, S, Eggermont, AM, Johnston, CD, Zitvogel, L Harnessing the microbiome to restore immunotherapy response. Nature Cancer 2(12):1301-1304, 2021. PMID: 35121929.
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- Advancing Cancer Microbiology: Leveraging the Pangenome, Epigenome, and Essentialome of Tumor-Associated Bacteria. Invited. 2023 IDS/Virology Research Symposium, US.
Regional Presentations
- 2024. Guts, Bugs, and Drugs: Harnessing microbial omics and engineering to understand, treat, and prevent cancer. Invited. South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at The University of Texas at San Antonio. San Antonio, TX, US.
- 2024. Single cell sequencing to interrogate the impact of bacterial nucleomodulins (DNA-methyl-modifying enzymes) on human cell gene expression. Invited. Pathogen Associated Malignancies Retreat, US.
- 2023. Guts, Bugs, and Drugs: Harnessing microbial omics and engineering to understand, treat, and prevent cancer. Invited. James P. Allison Institute 2023 Seminar Series, MD Anderson Cancer Center, US.
- 2023. Guts, Bugs, and Drugs: Harnessing microbial omics and engineering to understand, treat, and prevent cancer. Invited. PrimeTR Annual Symposium, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. Systematic design of genetic systems for non model organisms (to advance functional interrogations of the human microbiota). Invited. University of Washington, Pathobiology retreat, Center for Urban Horticulture. Seattle, Washington, US.
National Presentations
- 2025. Understanding Tumor-infiltrating Microbes in Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Roche Tissue Diagnostics Seminar. Tucson, Arizona, US.
- 2025. The Microbiota and Cancer Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Invited. American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Chicago, Illinois, US.
- 2024. Microbial Cell Therapies: Challenges and Opportunities for Bugs as Drugs. Invited. Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Understanding Intratumoral Microbes in Human Cancers. Invited. SITC Spring Scientific Conference. Miami, Florida, US.
- 2024. Tumor Infiltrating Microbes - Their Impact on Cancer Heterogeneity and Predominance of a Genetically Distinct Fusobacterium nucleatum lineage in Colorectal Tumors. Invited. NCI/NIH Microbiome-targeted Intervention Clinical Research Workshop, US.
- 2022. Systematic design of genetic systems for non model organisms (to advance functional interrogations of the human microbiota). Invited. Anaerobe 2022, 16th Biennial Congress of the Anaerobe Society of the Americas. Seattle, Washington, US.
International Presentations
- 2025. Systematic design of genetic systems for non-model microbes of clinical and biotechnological relevance. Invited. Mechanisms and Applications of Microbial Gene Editing. Shenzhen, CN.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Engineering Microbial Cellular Therapies against Cancer |
| Funding Source: | National Institutes of Health |
| Role: | PI |
| Title: | Deciphering the Critical Determinants of Enteric and Tumor Niche Colonization by Microbes in Colorectal Cancer |
| Funding Source: | National Institutes of Health |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | 1R01CA288827-01A1 |
| Title: | dvanced genetic systems for Fusobacterium nucleatum in oral and extra-oral pathologies |
| Funding Source: | National Institutes of Health |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | 7R21DE033533-02 |
| Title: | Interrogating the Role of Bacterial Methyl-modifying Enzymes in Pathoadaptation and Host Epigenetic Interference in Cancer |
| Funding Source: | National Institutes of Health |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | 1R01CA290034-01A1 |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified June 19, 2025