RSNA News - December 2004

Private Practice Radiation Oncologist Promotes Strong Research Base

Everything we do in basic science and clinical research has an impact on patient care. Research always improves patient care.
— Nina Fukunaga Johnson, M.D.

Nina Fukunaga Johnson, M.D.

1992 RSNA Research Fellow

When Nina Fukunaga Johnson, M.D., started practicing medicine, she says prostate-specific antigen tests were not available to test for prostate cancer. If you said "anti-angiogenesis" to someone, they might have thought you were talking about something out of science fiction.

It sounds like Dr. Johnson began her career in the 1960s. Actually, it was in 1988.

She says she's amazed by the rapid changes in medicine—particularly in radiation oncology. "Today, we have improved 3D conformal treatment planning, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, CT-PET fusion, MR fusion, tomotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery. We have genetic markers. We have anti-angiogenesis," she says.

Dr. Johnson is a radiation oncologist in private practice with Radiology, Inc., in South Bend, Ind. She's been on staff there since 1997.

Dr. Johnson received a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University in 1983 and her medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1987.

She conducted her internship at Mount Carmel Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and then her residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. Between 1992 and 1997, she was a lecturer and then an assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Michigan, where she also worked in a basic science research laboratory.

In 1992, Dr. Johnson received an RSNA Research & Education Foundation Research Fellowship. Her project, "Effect of Ionizing Radiation on Topoisomerase I," showed her early interest in what she described as, "X-ray inducible gene transcription responses in human cells and their effect(s) upon DNA repair."

"Any award is a positive thing," Dr. Johnson says. "The RSNA Research Fellow award helped me to establish myself as a scientist at the University of Michigan Medical Center, and it helped establish my credibility." She maintains her ties to RSNA by attending the annual meeting.

Her clinical interests today include pediatric oncology, breast cancer, stereotactic brain radiosurgery and 3D conformal radiation.

In addition to the RSNA Research Fellow award, Dr. Johnson received the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) Research Fellowship Award. A one-year sabbatical during her residency in 1990 gave her the time to pursue a clinical laboratory project.

Decision-Making

Dr. Johnson says her choice to leave the University of Michigan Medical Center was not an easy one. "It was a family decision to go into private practice. I needed to be closer to my family and my in-laws," she explains. "My priorities changed. I had a great career at the University of Michigan. I surrounded myself with a lot of smart people there. However, it's very hard to be a good scientist and a good clinician while maintaining a strong family life." Dr. Johnson has three children ranging in age from five to nine.

Currently, she holds an academic appointment with the Department of Radiation Oncology at Indiana University.

For young researchers considering a career in radiation oncology, Dr. Johnson has some advice: "Get a very sound base of knowledge. Knowledge is power. A strong background will help you be a good academician (clinician or scientific), or a doctor in private practice. Also remember that everything we do in basic science and clinical research has an impact on patient care. Research always improves patient care."

As for her future, Dr. Johnson says she plans to stay in private practice.

"I also want to qualify for the Hawaii Ironman race," she says. The Ironman is a triathlon made up of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a full 26.2-mile marathon. It is very difficult to qualify for the Hawaii Ironman, the original Ironman competition. Dr. Johnson recently ran in an Ironman competition in Wisconsin. The top three of her age group qualified for the Hawaii Ironman. Dr. Johnson came in fourth place. She says she'll try again.