Brandeis University’s Alex Johnson named Rita Allen Foundation Scholar for groundbreaking work in immune signaling and membrane biology
June 12, 2025
Alex Johnson
Brandeis University is proud to announce that Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Alex Johnson has been named a 2025 Rita Allen Foundation Scholar, one of the most prestigious early-career awards in the biomedical sciences. Johnson is one of just seven researchers selected nationwide for this year’s class, in recognition of his pioneering work exploring how proteins embedded in cell membranes regulate immune responses and cellular integrity.
The Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program provides multi-year funding to promising early-career investigators conducting innovative research in the biomedical sciences. Johnson will receive up to $110,000 annually for up to five years to support his lab’s work at the intersection of microbiology, immunology and structural biochemistry.
“Alex Johnson exemplifies the bold, curiosity-driven science that defines Brandeis,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Carol Fierke. “This recognition affirms the significance of his work and its potential to reshape our understanding of immune signaling mechanisms and their therapeutic applications.”
Johnson’s research centers on membrane-associated proteins that form massive pores—a key mechanism in immune signaling and cellular defense. His lab has demonstrated that these proteins, long known for their roles in human immune systems, are also conserved in bacterial defense mechanisms dating back billions of years. By studying these ancient molecular structures through a comparative evolutionary lens, Johnson is opening new pathways for understanding immune regulation and developing potential therapeutic tools.
“The Rita Allen Foundation’s support will enable us to take bigger risks, pursue unconventional ideas and explore the full therapeutic potential of pore-forming proteins,” said Johnson. “I’m deeply honored to join this community of scholars and grateful for the opportunity to expand our research in new directions.”
The Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program has supported more than 200 scientists since its founding in 1976, with many alumni going on to receive the Nobel Prize, National Medal of Science and other major honors. This year’s recipients were selected by committees of leading scientists in fields including immunology, neuroscience and pain research.
Learn more about Professor Johnson and his work at www.moooonlab.com.
