Keira Johnston, PhD
Associate Research Scientist of PsychiatryAbout
Titles
Associate Research Scientist of Psychiatry
Biography
Dr. Keira Johnston is an Associate Research Scientist in the Huckins Lab, Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Johnston's research area of focus is the study of chronic pain as a complex disease trait.
Last Updated on September 10, 2025.
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Associate
- Yale University (2025)
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (2022)
- PhD
- University of Glasgow (2021)
- MSc
- University of Edinburgh, Quantitative Genetics and Genome Analysis (2016)
- BSc (Hon)
- University of Edinburgh, Biological Sciences (Evolutionary Biology) (2015)
Research
Publications
2026
BMI-genome interactions regulate global gene expression with emphasis in brain and gut
Signer R, Seah C, Young H, Retallick-Townsley K, Ciarcia J, De Pins A, Cote A, Lee S, Jia M, Johnson J, Johnston K, Xu J, Brennand K, Huckins L. BMI-genome interactions regulate global gene expression with emphasis in brain and gut. Cell Genomics 2026, 101280. PMID: 42314667, DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2026.101280.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2025
A computational genetic- and transcriptomics-based study nominates drug repurposing candidates for the treatment of chronic pain
Cote A, Johnston K, Seah C, Young H, Huckins L. A computational genetic- and transcriptomics-based study nominates drug repurposing candidates for the treatment of chronic pain. EBioMedicine 2025, 122: 106022. PMID: 41205295, PMCID: PMC12790588, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2025.106022.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThe impact of chronic pain on brain gene expression
Collier L, Seah C, Hicks E, Holtzheimer P, Krystal J, Girgenti M, Huckins L, Johnston K, Alvarez V, Benedek D, Che A, Cruz D, Davis D, Girgenti M, Hoffman E, Holtzheimer P, Huber B, Kaye A, Krystal J, Labadorf A, Keane T, Logue M, McKee A, Marx B, Miller M, Noller C, Montalvo-Ortiz J, Pierce M, Scott W, Schnurr P, DiSano K, Stein T, Ursano R, Williamson D, Wolf E, Young K. The impact of chronic pain on brain gene expression. Pain 2025, 166: e689-e702. PMID: 40623285, PMCID: PMC12236435, DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003707.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchProtocol for finding genetic variation associated with unmeasured traits through GenomicSEM common-factor GWAS
Johnston K, Signer R, Huckins L. Protocol for finding genetic variation associated with unmeasured traits through GenomicSEM common-factor GWAS. STAR Protocols 2025, 6: 103905. PMID: 40531628, PMCID: PMC12213288, DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2025.103905.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2024
Chronic overlapping pain conditions and nociplastic pain
Johnston K, Signer R, Huckins L. Chronic overlapping pain conditions and nociplastic pain. Human Genetics And Genomics Advances 2024, 6: 100381. PMID: 39497418, PMCID: PMC11617767, DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2024.100381.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchComorbidity Profiles of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Across the Medical Phenome
Hicks E, Niarchou M, Goleva S, Kabir D, Johnson J, Johnston K, Ciarcia J, Pathak G, Smoller J, Davis L, Nievergelt C, Koenen K, Huckins L, Choi K, Group P. Comorbidity Profiles of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Across the Medical Phenome. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science 2024, 4: 100337. PMID: 39050781, PMCID: PMC11268109, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100337.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Multi-ancestry study of the genetics of problematic alcohol use in over 1 million individuals
Zhou H, Kember R, Deak J, Xu H, Toikumo S, Yuan K, Lind P, Farajzadeh L, Wang L, Hatoum A, Johnson J, Lee H, Mallard T, Xu J, Johnston K, Johnson E, Nielsen T, Galimberti M, Dao C, Levey D, Overstreet C, Byrne E, Gillespie N, Gordon S, Hickie I, Whitfield J, Xu K, Zhao H, Huckins L, Davis L, Sanchez-Roige S, Madden P, Heath A, Medland S, Martin N, Ge T, Smoller J, Hougaard D, Børglum A, Demontis D, Krystal J, Gaziano J, Edenberg H, Agrawal A, Justice A, Stein M, Kranzler H, Gelernter J. Multi-ancestry study of the genetics of problematic alcohol use in over 1 million individuals. Nature Medicine 2023, 29: 3184-3192. PMID: 38062264, PMCID: PMC10719093, DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02653-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenetically Regulated Gene Expression in the Brain Associated With Chronic Pain: Relationships With Clinical Traits and Potential for Drug Repurposing
Johnston K, Cote A, Hicks E, Johnson J, Huckins L. Genetically Regulated Gene Expression in the Brain Associated With Chronic Pain: Relationships With Clinical Traits and Potential for Drug Repurposing. Biological Psychiatry 2023, 95: 745-761. PMID: 37678542, PMCID: PMC10924073, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.08.023.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2022
Chronic Pain and Psychiatric Conditions
Johnston K, Huckins L. Chronic Pain and Psychiatric Conditions. Complex Psychiatry 2022, 9: 24-43. PMID: 37034825, PMCID: PMC10080192, DOI: 10.1159/000527041.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
2021
Genetic Variation in the ASTN2 Locus in Cardiovascular, Metabolic and Psychiatric Traits: Evidence for Pleiotropy Rather Than Shared Biology
Burt O, Johnston K, Graham N, Cullen B, Lyall D, Lyall L, Pell J, Ward J, Smith D, Strawbridge R. Genetic Variation in the ASTN2 Locus in Cardiovascular, Metabolic and Psychiatric Traits: Evidence for Pleiotropy Rather Than Shared Biology. Genes 2021, 12: 1194. PMID: 34440368, PMCID: PMC8391428, DOI: 10.3390/genes12081194.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
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Contacts
Academic Office Number
Locations
Temple Medical Center (60 Temple)
Academic Office
60 Temple Street
New Haven, CT 06510