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VMBS Professor Receives Top Research Article Award For Study Of Swine Reproduction

Story by Courtney Price, VMBS Marketing & Communications

A university headshot of a male professor in a black suit.

A research publication on swine reproduction led by Texas A&M University professor Dr. Gregory Johnson has been selected as the 2024 Top Research Article by the journal Biology of Reproduction, the official publication of the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR).

Johnson, a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (VMBS) Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences (VIBS), is an expert in reproductive biology, with a focus on pregnancy and interactions between the uterus and developing embryo and surrounding membranes. The ultimate goal of his research is to create clinical strategies that prevent pregnancy loss in livestock, women, and companion animals.

The SSR was founded in 1967 to promote the interdisciplinary study of reproduction and has over 1,200 members from over 50 countries. The Top Research Article award is designed to recognize publications that contribute to the journal’s growing impact by drawing great attention from other researchers.

In the selected publication, “Pig conceptuses utilize extracellular vesicles for interferon-gamma-mediated paracrine communication with the endometrium,” Johnson and his team discovered a new mechanism that potentially explains how certain cell communication proteins travel across the uterus lining, allowing communication between the developing embryo and the uterus.

Knowing how cellular communication works during the early stages of pregnancy will hopefully lead to a better understanding of problems that can occur and clinical strategies that can be used to treat them.

In addition to his role in VIBS, Johnson is also adjunct faculty in the Texas A&M Department of Animal Science and assistant dean for research and graduate studies at the VMBS. His other awards include the Association of Former Students (AFS) College-Level Distinguished Achievement in Research Award in 2020 and being named a Chancellor’s Enhancing Development and Generating Excellence in Scholarship (EDGES) Fellow. He was recently selected as co-editor-in-chief of the prestigious journal, Reproduction.

“Biology of Reproduction and the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) have influenced me significantly,” Johnson said. “I am surprised and all authors are honored by this recognition. Authors include Dr. Joe Cain, who approached these studies with mature and thorough diligence, and Drs. Fuller Bazer, Robert Burghardt, and Heewon Seo. Their collective insights into pregnancy are immeasurable.”

“We are very fortunate to have such a high caliber researcher in the department,” said Dr. Christine Budke, professor and VIBS interim department head. “Dr. Johnson is not only known for his expertise in reproductive biology but also for being a great mentor, with graduate students and other trainees frequently contributing to research projects and publications.”

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

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