Melissa Johnson, MD
Director, Lung Cancer Research, Sarah Cannon Research Institute
Dr. Johnson joined Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) in 2014 and serves as the director of lung cancer research. Her responsibilities include leading the lung cancer clinical trial portfolio across the SCRI network. In her role, Dr. Johnson focuses on early phase drug development and also leads the solid tumor immune effector cellular therapy program at SCRI. Dr. Johnson practices at the SCRI drug development unit at Tennessee Oncology. She also currently serves as the chair of the Oncology Department and member of the Medical Executive Committee at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Dr. Johnson received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where she was a Morehead Scholar, and her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her residency in internal medicine at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and her fellowship in medical oncology and hematology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where she also served as chief fellow for one year. She spent four years as a faculty member at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and Feinberg School of Medicine, where she was a founding member of the Northwestern Medical Developmental Therapeutics Institute.
She is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology. Additionally, she is a partner with Tennessee Oncology, PLLC.