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 ResearchSingle-nucleotide polymorphismsGene expressionDisease-associated single-nucleotide polymorphismsExpression quantitative trait lociGenome-wide association studiesDisease gene discoveryBody mass indexDisease-associated genesQuantitative trait lociAssociated with physiological processesDownstream cellular consequencesAssociated with diseaseGene discoveryPutative enhancersAssociation studiesTrait lociCellular consequencesGenesBody mass index spectrumPhysiological processesEffect of body mass indexCell typesIndividual environmental effectsGutEndocrine tissues
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 ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association studiesMendelian randomization analysisChronic painTreatment of chronic painRandomization analysisTwo-sample Mendelian randomization analysisDrug repurposing candidatesTranscriptomic effectsFunctional genomics approachTranscriptome data resourcesDrug classesRepurposing candidatesClinical follow-upGenomic approachesPsychological symptomsAssociation studiesMedication useGenetic riskNovel drug classesPutative drug candidatesDrug perturbationsGene expressionEffects of diseaseLong-term pharmaceutical treatmentPainThe 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 ResearchChronic pain developmentChronic painPain developmentMechanisms of chronic pain developmentEffects of chronic painImpact of chronic painCell typesBrain gene expressionPain-related factorsGene expressionDifferential gene expressionBrain regionsSignificant public health burdenPublic health burdenImmune response pathwaysPain genesAmygdala cellsBasolateral amygdalaBrain regional levelsPainInvestigate sex differencesMigraineAssociated treatmentHealth burdenPostmortem donorsProtocol 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 ResearchGenome wide association studiesTranscriptome-wide associationChronic overlapping pain conditionsTissue enrichment analysisSingle nucleotide polymorphismsEnrichment analysisNociplastic painPain conditionsIndependent single nucleotide polymorphismsMultisite chronic painGene Set Enrichment AnalysisSNP heritabilityUnique genesNeuropathic pain phenotypesAssociation studiesPolygenic traitChronic pain conditionsGene setsNucleotide polymorphismsMetabolic traitsHeritable traitGenetic overlapPain phenotypesPain descriptorsPain experienceComorbidity 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 ResearchElectronic health recordsClinical knowledge gapsPhysical health problemsPhenome-wide associationPheWAS analysisBiobank participantsHealth recordsEpidemiological researchHealthcare systemTest associationsMedical phenomeAssociated with osteoporosisPulmonary heart diseasePhecodesHealth problemsLogistic regressionPosttraumatic stress disorderSex differencesPheWASComorbidity profilesHeart diseaseStress disorderInteraction termsAssociationPTSD
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 ResearchConceptsGenetically regulated gene expressionMultisite chronic painGene-tissue associationsMean pain scoreUnique genesChronic painAssociation studiesS-PrediXcanGene expressionPain scoresTranscriptome-wide association studyPhenome-wide association studyCardiac dysrhythmiasMetabolic syndromeGenome-wide association studiesAssociated with cardiac dysrhythmiasDrug targetsGenotype-phenotype gapChronic pain developmentAssociation study resultsGene expression changesJoint/ligament sprainsDirection of effectTranscriptome imputationPain traits
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 StatementsChronic painLinkage disequilibrium score regression analysisPsychiatric conditionsPain comorbidityDSM-5 psychiatric diagnosisRates of chronic painGenetic overlapPublic health burdenDSM-5Chronic pain conditionsAssociated with increased ratesPotential mechanismsHealth burdenPsychiatric diagnosisPain conditionsTreatment strategiesDepressive disorderPainOverview of relationshipsComorbidityRegression analysisADHDDepressionImpact understandingDisorders
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 ResearchConceptsPsychiatric traitsCardiometabolic traitsGenetic association analysisBaseline questionnaireUK BiobankIn silico analysisCentral obesityAncestry individualsGenetic architecturePopulation structureGenetic dataGenotyping chipPsychiatric illnessGenetic variationAssociation analysisGenetic variantsSilico analysisRelevant traitsLociGenetic modelsPleiotropic effectsBlood pressureASTN2Mood instabilityTraits
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