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University of Washington · History
Active 1620–2026
Richard Johnson is a historian specializing in early America and the early modern Atlantic world. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1972. His research focuses on the period of the American Revolution and the processes of comparative states-formation during these years. Johnson's first book, 'Adjustment to Empire: The New England Colonies, 1675-1715,' is a comparative study of the New England colonies during the Glorious Revolution, examining their accommodations to closer relationships with English imperial government and society. His second book, 'John Nelson, Merchant Adventurer: A Life between Empires,' uncovers the life of a merchant, diplomat, and spy navigating between imperial powers in the late seventeenth-century Atlantic world. Johnson has published essays on topics including Ancient Greece, Early America, Indian-white relations, the Glorious Revolution, and the clash of legislatures leading to the American Revolution. He has served on editorial boards of prominent history journals and held leadership roles such as Director of Graduate Studies and Chair of the UW History Department. Recognized for his teaching, he has received the university's Distinguished Teacher Award and has given the Alumni Lecture Series at the University of Washington. Currently, he teaches courses on early American history, the American Revolution, and American Constitutional History, along with seminars on figures like Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams, and topics such as Race and Labor in Early America and Comparative Empires in Early Modern North America.
Kidney International Reports · 2026-03-25
Annals of Work Exposures and Health · 2026-04-30
Renal and Electrolyte Disease and Hypertension
NIH · $6.9M · 1983–2025
NIH · $17.5M · 2009
Fructokinase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder
NIH · $1.3M · 2019–2024
NIH · $1.1M · 2000
NIH · $546k · 2015
Miguel A. Lanaspa
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Takahiko Nakagawa
Shiga University of Medical Science
Laura Gabriela Sánchez‐Lozada
Duk‐Hee Kang
Ewha Womans University Medical Center
Carlos A. Roncal-Jiménez
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Richard Johnson LabPI
B.S.
University of Wisconsin Madison
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Abstract Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) is a worldwide epidemic. In Aguascalientes, Mexico, it disproportionately affects adolescents, presenting primarily with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Our experimental and clinical studies have implicated silica particle exposure as a potential contributor to CKDu through oxidative and mitochondrial injury. Objective: Assess the presence of silica particles in renal tissue from adolescents with adaptive podocytopathy and adults with adaptive FSGS in Aguascalientes, Mexico, using single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS), and to explore possible environmental sources of exposure. Methods: This case-control study included kidney biopsies from four groups (median age 30 yr, IQR 18 to 42; 50.9% female): (1) adolescents with adaptive podocytopathy (n = 15), (2) adults with adaptive FSGS (n = 19), (3) adults with other glomerulopathies (n = 10), and (4) renal tissue from trauma nephrectomy controls (n = 10). Results: Among 54 kidney biopsies were analysed, silica particles were detected in 66% of adolescents and 65% of adults with adaptive FSGS, compared with 0% and 10% in the other groups (P < 0.01). Mean silica particle density was highest in adolescents (1.7 ± 0.4 particles/mm³) and FSGS adults (1.26 ± 0.1), versus 0.23 ± 0.04 and 0.29 ± 0.12 in disease and trauma controls, respectively. Silica was also found in water from non-commercial purification plants but absent in the public water system (72,272.8 versus 0 particles/ml, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Elevated renal silica in affected individuals and water sources supports a potential environmental contribution to CKDu pathogenesis in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Genealogy · 2026-01-14
An accurate DNA clock can strengthen cross-disciplinary inputs in the study of genealogies and ancient migrations. New Y-chromosome sequence data gathered from a Lotli Pai Kaundinya (LPK) Brahmin cohort whose staged migration from the Pontic Steppe to the West Coast of India was previously reported, are used here to generate a more precise DNA clock. The formula distinguishes Y-mutation rates for transitions and transversions and corrects for dropped mutations in sequence reads. The formula is validated against a baptismal tree covering over four centuries (0–704 YBP interval), a published STR-based chronology for this same cohort (704–5200 YBP) and a comparison to Y-Full formation times for mutations older than 3000 YBP. Using this more precise clock, we support a proposed “founder effect” expansion in Khorasan during 4300–3800 YBP using a novel phylogenetic branching metric; and use archeological, numismatic, toponymic, climate reconstruction and ancient textual data to explore religious and professional dimensions of cultural kinship with other communities believed to have interacted with the LPK during their long migration. The availability of more precise dating facilitates the integration of such secondary data types, resulting in an enriched and more plausible migration narrative.
Toxics · 2025-09-08 · 3 citations
Chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) is a public health concern, particularly in agricultural communities, with multiple environmental exposures hypothesized as potential contributors. This study employed a targeted exposure assessment using personal silicone wristbands to characterize chemical exposures among women living and working in CKDu-affected regions of Guatemala. Participants wore wristbands for seven days, passively sampling air and dermal exposures. Overall, 45 wristbands were collected from 37 female participants (19 sugarcane workers and 18 community members). Of the 1530 chemicals measured using a single semi-quantitative method, 103 were detected, with an average of 27 chemicals per wristband (range: 16–40). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels were higher in community members’ wristbands, whereas workers exhibited higher exposure to pesticides (i.e., pendimethalin and fipronil). Workers had worse kidney function compared to community members, with almost half of the workers having an estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR, <90 mL/min/1.73 m2. Correlations were observed between kidney function markers and specific chemicals, with the strongest correlation between albumin-to-creatinine ratio and pyrene levels (ρ = 0.57, p < 0.01) among workers. Women in agricultural regions of Guatemala experience widespread exposure to diverse environmental chemicals, some of which may contribute to kidney function decline.
Diabetologia · 2025-11-20 · 1 citations
This review explores the remarkable metabolic adaptations of species that thrive in extreme environments, providing insights into their resilience, flexibility and disease resistance. Species such as hibernating brown bears, migratory birds, cavefish, Greenland sharks and naked mole rats exhibit unique metabolic traits that challenge conventional paradigms of metabolic regulation. These adaptations, including resistance to hypoxia and metabolic ageing, offer potential solutions to human metabolic disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and CVD. Insights from comparative physiology, particularly the mechanisms by which animals cope with food scarcity, extreme temperatures and hypoxia, could help identify novel therapeutic targets for advancing human health. For example, hibernation can serve as a model for understanding metabolic diseases, providing insights into reversible insulin resistance and energy homeostasis. This review also highlights the impact of environmental stressors, including climate change, on these species, which may jeopardise their survival despite their resilience. Accelerating anthropogenic environmental change threatens even the most resilient animal species. We call for a holistic approach to conservation and environmental protection to preserve these species and the valuable lessons they offer for managing our metabolic health.
Endothelial Injury Is Linked to Silent Inflammation in Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome in Children
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 2025-10-01
The interplay of NAD+, hyperuricemia, and renal damage: A scientific review
Pathology - Research and Practice · 2025-10-06
The Journal of Climate Change and Health · 2025-01-05 · 2 citations
• Climatic changes are affecting the health and wellbeing of populations in Latin America and the goal of this pilot study is to characterize multiple climate hazards and health impacts to inform future research and interventions. • In this study, we observed exposures to elevated levels of particulate matter and heat index, both on and off-work, among a female worker population in Guatemala. • These findings show relationships between increasing heat index and declines in markers of kidney function among female agricultural workers. • This study supports the need for gender-responsive preventive strategies in the workplace designed to reduce the risk of heat stress, dehydration, and kidney dysfunction. An increasing number of women are performing farm labor in agrarian societies due to the out-migration of men impacted by the effects of climate change. Thus, it is important to understand how changing climatic conditions affect women's risk of occupational heat stress and other health issues. For this longitudinal pilot study, we characterized repeat individual-level particulate matter (PM 5 , aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 5 micrometers) and heat exposures and measured kidney function markers during workdays and rest days among female sugarcane workers in Guatemala. We used logistic mixed models with repeated measures to evaluate associations between kidney function and exposures. We observed that 45% of the workers had reduced kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] < 90 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) during the study. Levels of dehydration based on a urinary specific gravity >1.020 (28%), acidic urine (30%), and low potassium levels (31%) were common. Environmental exposures (PM 5 and heat index) were significantly higher on workdays compared to rest days. Reduced kidney function was associated with increasing median heat index (odds ratio [OR]: 1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29–2.08), low urine pH (OR: 4.21, 95% CI: 1.08–16.40), and municipal drinking water source (OR: 6.52, 95% CI: 1.23-34.57). The results from this study suggest that repeated occupational exposure to high levels of heat contributes to a reduction in renal function among these workers. These findings can inform preventive strategies to better address women's health in the workplace, such as reducing heat stress and dehydration.
Native American Ancestry and Susceptibility to Mesoamerican Nephropathy
American Journal of Kidney Diseases · 2025-06-04 · 2 citations
An APOE ε4–Uric Acid Axis Underpins Mesoamerican Nephropathy
Research Square · 2025-10-30
Bernardo Rodríguez‐Iturbe
Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán
Ana Andres‐Hernando
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Masanari Kuwabara
Toranomon Hospital