Johnson named interim director of the Institute of Public and Preventive Health

Dr. J. Aaron Johnson, assistant division chief of Health Services Research in the Institute of Public and Preventive Health (IPPH) at Augusta University, has been named the Institute’s interim director, succeeding Dr. Selina Smith who served as the director since 2013.

“We are appreciative of Dr. Johnson’s willingness to step in and lead the IPPH at this time,” said Dr. Michael Diamond, Senior Vice President of Research at Augusta University.  “We also want to thank Dr. Smith for her work in establishing the IPPH’s Correctional Health Research Program, the expansion of the Master’s in Public Health program through the new Concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences and the development of the newly named Center of Bioethics and Health Policy at Augusta University.  We wish her much success as she pursues her research full time in the Department of Family Medicine, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.”

In addition to serving in Institute of Public and Preventive Health, Johnson is an associate professor in the university’s Department of Psychological Sciences and School of Graduate Studies. For over 15 years, he has maintained funding for health services research through organizations such as National Institute on Drug Abuse and he holds collaborative training agreements with Johns Hopkins University, University of Georgia, and Mercer University.

His research has garnered him numerous awards and his work has been featured in several peer-reviewed publications including The American Surgeon, the Journal of Addiction Medicine and the Journal of Pediatric Surgery.

He received his bachelor’s degree from the Presbyterian College and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Georgia.