Recognizing Dr. Mark H, Johnston

Floor Speech

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Mr. CROW. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Dr. Mark Johnston, and to congratulate him on his membership to the National Academy of Sciences.

A trailblazer in the field of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Dr. Johnston's lab has been a leader shedding light on how cells respond to glucose. He has played a vital role in the sequencing of the yeast genome, and is a pioneer in the field of comparative genomics.

In addition to his research, Dr. Johnston has been a professor since 1983. He began his teaching journey at the Washington University School of Medicine, until 2009, when he relocated to the University of Colorado Denver. He currently serves as Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. Additionally, he worked as Editor-in-Chief at the journal, GENETICS, for 12 years--a journal that has existed at the forefront of the field for the past century. He has published more than 100 papers and articles, as well as a popular science book, the Genetic Twists of Fate.

Dr. Johnston has no small collection of accolades. In 2008, he received the George W. Beadle Award from the Genetics Society of America, and in 2012, was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has received a series of fellowships among other field- related recognitions.

In 2022, Dr. Johnston was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences. There is no application process to become a member--rather membership is singularly achieved through an election process, and only 120 members may be elected annually. Membership is considered and accepted as a mark of excellence in science, and is considered one of the highest honors a scientist can receive.

Dr. Johnston's contributions to the scientific community, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and those around him have been enormous. I congratulate him for his membership to the National Academy of Sciences, as well as an incredible career in the field of genetics.

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