Education:
B.A., Psychology: East Carolina University
M.A. Psychology: East Carolina University
Ph.D. Biological Psychology: University of Georgia
Postdoctoral training: Department of Pharmacology, East Carolina University Medical School
Research Fellowship: Brain and Development Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Summary Statement:
In our laboratory Dr. Johns studies the effects of drugs of abuse, particularly psychostimulants, on maternal behavior and aggression and how prenatal exposure to drugs alters the behavioral and biological development of offspring in a rodent model. Our research techniques range from behavioral to molecular, which allows us in collaboration with other scientists to examine a problem from many different perspectives. We also collaborate on human research projects looking at hormonal determinants of social/maternal behavior.

Representative Publications:

1. Johns, J.M., McMurray, M. S., Hofler, V.E., Jarrett, T. M., Middleton, C.L.,  Elliott, D. L., Mirza, R., Elliott, J.C, and Walker, C.H. (2006) Cocaine Alters Rearing and Prenatal Environment to Disrupt Non-Lactational Maternal Behavior in Juvenile and Adult Rats (in review).
2. Jarrett, T.M, McMurray, M.S., Walker, C.H. and Johns, J.M. (2006) Cocaine treatment alters Oxytocin Receptor Binding but not mRNA Production in Postpartum Rat Dams, Neuropeptides,  40 pp 161-167.
3. Johns, J.M., Elliott, D. L, Hofler, V.E., Joyner, P.W., McMurray, M. S., Jarrett, T. M., Haslup, A. M., Middleton, C.L., Elliott, J.C. and Walker, C.H. (2005) Cocaine Treatment and Prenatal Environment Interact to Disrupt Intergenerational Maternal Behavior in Rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 119/6 pp 1605-1618.
4. Johns, J.M., Joyner, P. W., McMurray, M. S., Elliot, D. A., Hofler, V. E.,  Knupp, K., Greenhill, K. W. and Walker, C. H. (2005) The Effects of Combined Dopaminergic / Serotonergic Reuptake Inhibition on Maternal Behavior, Maternal Aggression, and Oxytocin in the Rat Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 81/4 pp 769-785.
5. Light, K.C., Grewen, K.M., Amico, J.A., Boccia, M., Brownley, K. & Johns, J. M. (2004) Deficits in Plasma Oxytocin Responses and Increased Negative Affect, Stress and Blood Pressure in Mothers with Cocaine Exposure during Pregnancy. Addictive Behaviors 29/8 pp 1541-1564.
6. Johns, J.M, Lubin, D.A., Walker, C.H., Joyner, P. W., Middleton, C.L., Hofler, V. E. and McMurray, M. (2004) Gestational Treatment with Cocaine and Fluoxetine Alters Oxytocin Receptor Number and Binding Affinity in Lactating Rats Dams. (Invited article Special Issue: Developmental Aspects of Addiction - Edited by R.M. Booze and C.F. Mactutus) International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience,22  pp 321-328.
7. Moy, S., Nadler, J., Perez, A., Barbaro, R,  Johns, J., Magnuson, T., Piven, J. and Crawley, J. (2004). Sociability and Preference for Social Novelty in Five Inbred Strains:  An Approach to Assess Autistic-like Behavior in Mice. Genes, Brain and Behavior, 3(5):287-302.
8. Lubin, D.A., Elliott, J.C., Black, M.C.,& Johns, J.M. (2003). An Oxytocin Antagonist Infused into the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala Increases Maternal Aggressive Behavior. Behavioral Neuroscience, 117(2), 195-201.
9. Lubin, D.A., Cannon, J.B., Black, M.C., Brown, L.E., & Johns, J.M.(2003). Effects of Chronic Cocaine on Monoamine Levels in Discrete Brain Structures of Lactating Rat Dams. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 74(2), 449-454.
10. Phillips, P.E., Johns, J.M., Lubin, D.A., Budygin, E.A., Gainetdinov, R.R. Lieberman, J. A. and Wightman, R. M. (2003) Presynaptic Dopaminergic Function is Largely Unaltered in Mesolimbic and Mesostriatal Terminals of Adult Rats That Were Prenatally Exposed to Cocaine. Brain Research 961(1), 63-72.
11. Johns, J.M., Lubin, D.A., Lieberman, J., and Lauder, J.M. (2002) Developmental Effects of Prenatal Cocaine Exposure on 5-HT1A Receptors in Male and Female Rat Offspring. Developmental Neuroscience, 24(6), 522-530.
12. Elliott, J., Lubin, D.A., Walker, C.H. and Johns, J.M. (2001) Acute Cocaine Alters Oxytocin Levels in the Medial Preoptic Area and Amygdala of Lactating Rat Dams: Implications for Cocaine-Induced Changes in Maternal Behavior and Maternal Aggression. Neuropeptides, 35(2), 1-8.
13. Lubin, D.A., Meter, K.E., Walker, C.H. and Johns, J.M. (2001)  Dose Related Effects of Chronic Gestational Cocaine Treatment on Maternal Aggression in Rats on Postpartum Days 2, 3 and 5. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 25(7), 1421 -1433 (Invited paper).
14. Lubin, D.A., Meter, K.E., Walker, C.H. and Johns, J.M. (2001) Effects of Chronic Cocaine Administration on Aggressive Behavior in Virgin Female Rats. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 25(7), 1403-1420. (Invited paper)
15. Light, K.C., Smith, T.E., Johns, J.M., Hofheimer, J.A, and Amico, J.A. (2000) Oxytocin Responsivity in Mothers of Infants: An Initial Study of Relationships to Laboratory and Home Blood Pressure, Affect and Perceived Support, Health Psychology (Invited Paper) 19, 560-567.
16. Overstreet, D.H., Moy, S.S., Lee R. G., Lubin, D.A., Lieberman, J.A., and Johns, J.M. (2000) Enduring Effects of Prenatal Cocaine Administration on Emotional Behavior in Rats. Physiology and Behavior 70, 149-156