Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College · BiologyJohnson Lab
Alyssa Johnson · Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Research Focus
Dr. Alyssa Johnson's lab studies how cells maintain their health and functionality as they age, particularly focusing on a cellular system known as autophagy. Her research investigates how lysosomes—the cell's waste disposal units—can change their structure to become more efficient at recycling and maintaining cellular health. By exploring these processes in simple organisms like worms and fruit flies, the lab aims to find new ways to support healthy aging and prevent diseases associated with aging.
lysosomesautophagyhealthy agingdegenerative diseasesC. elegansDrosophila
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the role of tubular lysosomes in different longevity paradigms.
AIM 02Evaluate candidate regulators of tubular lysosome activities in healthy aging.
AIM 03Test the application of tubular lysosome induction in animal models of degenerative diseases.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemicroscopygenetic manipulationbiochemical assaysanimal model experimentsmolecular biology techniquesdata analysisbioinformatics
Output against the department
Publications73bottom 21% of dept.820th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.1kbottom 15% of dept.878th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.