Marian Johnson-Thompson, Ph.D. is Director of Education and Biomedical Research Development for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). She is responsible for identifying the environmental health research and training needs of underserved populations and is particularly interested in the unique biomedical research needs of women of color. She also develops K-12 science education programs and minority training programs and chairs the NIEHS Institutional Review Board for protection of human subjects. Dr. Johnson- Thompson received B.S. and M.S. degrees in microbiology from Howard University and a Ph.D. in molecular virology from Georgetown University Medical School. Prior to joining NIEHS in 1992, Dr. Johnson-Thompson was Professor of Biology at the University of the District of Columbia and Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology at Georgetown University. Her research addressed the molecular basis of multi-drug resistance in breast cancer cells.

Dr. Johnson-Thompson was national chairperson of the National Network of Minority Women in Science from 1985 to 1992 and serves on the African American National Advisory Committee of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. She also served on the American Society for Microbiology's Board of Education and Training from 1990-1993 and chaired its Undergraduate Education Committee. Dr. Johnson-Thompson's numerous recognitions include "Outstanding Young Women of America" (1975), "Who's Who of American Women" (1978-1979), the American Society of Microbiology's Outstanding Service Award (1993), the first "Geraldine P. Woods Sciences Award" (presented in 1994 by the Federal City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.), the International Congress of Black Women's "ONI Award" (1999), multiple NIH commendations, and Fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology (1998). She is also a board member of the Durham Public Education Network, the North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Foundation, the Durham City County Environmental Affairs Board, and the North Carolina Central University Institute for the Study of Minority Issues.