Janel Johnson

Osiyo (hello), I am an Associate Clinical Professor of Medical Education and Prevention Science MPH at the first tribally affiliated medical school, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation. My goals are too incorporate more academic and interventional strategies into my medical career. My experiences in residency as the co-chief of my family practice residency in my PGY-2 year. This experience helped me organize people and learn how to network as well as my duties to prepare didactic schedules and draft policy for our program in conjunction with two hospital administrations. In my PGY-3 year I started my Master of Public Health program at Emory Rollins School of Public Health with an emphasis on prevention science. This curriculum is focused on the design, implementation, and evaluation of public health interventions. During this academia, I had my practicum with the CDC Field Support Branch’s Division of Reproductive Health. I worked on three projects for them including qualitative analysis, a priori criteria for a systematic literature review, and an ethical considerations brief, all related to American Indian/Alaskan Native Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology. All of these works were kept internal for CDC use, but this work did earn me consideration for the Outstanding Practicum award at Emory Rollins School of Public Health. It was also during this time that I became a lifetime member of the American Evaluators Association. I was selected for the ACOFP Future Leaders program during this time. After graduation from residency, I started practice for Cherokee Nation Health Services as a primary care physician and was also named HPV Vaccination Physician Champion. For this role, I helped develop a questionnaire regarding all clinic staff attitudes, beliefs, and education on HPV vaccination. I have experience in NIH grant work recruiting medical students into cancer health disparities research. I received an ACOFP Distinguished Service award for work in advancing women in leadership and for my work in diversity, equity, and inclusion and became a fellow in 2025 earning Most Outstanding Scientific Research award. I am a Harvard Center for Health Equity, Education, and Advocacy Scholar and was a coach for one cohort cycle. At my current position as Associate Clinical Professor, I work in curriculum development as the course director for one course and site director for three, participate as the chair of the research committee and a member of the IRB for OSU-CHS. As a citizen of the Cherokee Nation who works with patients from many tribal nations and an associate clinical professor at the first tribally affiliated medical school in the country working with diverse groups, I have an avid interest in research that evaluates quality of life that is culturally and realistically responsive.