Dr. Johnson’s research focuses on understanding correlates of protection during pregnancy, defining mechanisms of natural immune control and determining how these can be exploited to develop interventions that limit mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of pathogens. Her studies have advanced the understanding of innate protection against MTCT of HIV and pediatric immune responses to maternal viral infections. Dr. Johnson’s laboratory is particularly interested on placental and fetal immunology as it relates to HIV and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and plans to define mechanisms of protection and transmission during her career to further our understanding of HIV pathogenesis and vaccine development. Her current research goals are to (1) define the dynamics of innate immune signaling in macrophages at the maternal-fetal interface and their control of HIV, HCMV, and ZIKV during pregnancy; (2) determine the mechanisms by which maternal HCMV promotes in utero HIV transmission; and (3) elucidate the impact of maternal infection and/or inflammation on the developing fetal immune system.