Paula Johnson | |
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14th President of Wellesley College | |
Assumed office July 1, 2016 |
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Preceded by | H. Kim Bottomly Diana Chapman Walsh Nannerl O. Keohane |
Personal details | |
Born |
Paula Adina Johnson Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
Spouse(s) | Dr. Robert Sands |
Residence | Wellesley, Massachusetts |
Alma mater |
Radcliffe College at Harvard University Harvard Medical School Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health |
Profession | Cardiologist, Professor |
Website | Wellesley College |
Paula Adina Johnson (born 1959) is the 14th president of Wellesley College and the first African American to serve in this role. President Johnson is an internationally recognized leader with a broad range of experience as a researcher, educator, and expert in women's health care, public health and health policy.
Before coming to Wellesley, Johnson founded and served as the inaugural executive director of the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women's Health & Gender Biology, as well as Chief of the Division of Women's Health at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
A cardiologist, Johnson was the Grace A. Young Family Professor Medicine in the field of women's health, an endowed professorship named in honor of her mother, at Harvard Medical School. She was also Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Johnson was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, formerly the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and has been featured as a national leader in medicine by the National Library of Medicine.
Her 2013 Ted talk, "His and Her Healthcare," was named one of the "Top 10 TED Talks by Women to be Viewed by Everyone". Johnson was one of the first researchers in her field to identify the need for consideration of sex differences in medical treatment, and has been a significant voice in raising awareness of the importance of sex differences in understanding women's health.
Paula Johnson was born and raised in New York. She spoke to WGBH about her childhood: "I was very fortunate growing up in Brooklyn. I have one sister, and from a very early age my mother focused on us not only being well-educated, but also thinking independently. I think that gave me the latitude to think differently about my college education. I went to Harvard Radcliffe, which allowed me to really have my first introduction to women's health." Separately, she said the best piece of advice her mom gave her was to "find your voice and not let failure knock you down." Johnson and her husband have a son and a daughter and two Havanese puppies. The family resides in Wellesley, MA.