BARDA Director of Medical Countermeasures Dr. Robert Johnson

Dr. Robert Johnson is the Director of Medical Countermeasures Programs (MCMP) for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a component of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. BARDA invests in the innovation, advanced research and development, acquisition, and manufacturing of medical countermeasures (MCM) – vaccines, drugs, therapeutics, diagnostic tools, and non-pharmaceutical products needed to combat health security threats. As the MCMP Director, Dr. Johnson overseas the MCM development efforts across BARDA. In this role, Dr. Johnson has a focus on incorporating new technologies that can provide a faster pandemic response across multiple threat areas, as well as new partnerships and approaches to ensure sustainment of current and future capabilities.

Dr. Johnson joined BARDA in November of 2017 as the Director for the Influenza and Emerging Infectious Disease Division. In this position, Dr. Johnson led efforts focused on advanced development and manufacturing capacity of medical countermeasures against pandemic influenza and emerging infectious diseases.

In January 2020, Dr. Johnson was named BARDA’s Incident Commander for the COVID-19 Response and was responsible for establishing BARDA’s initial COVID-19 vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostics portfolio. Under Operation Warp Speed, and later the Countermeasures Acceleration Group (CAG), Dr. Johnson worked closely with HHS-DOD Leadership and product developers to facilitate rapid clinical development, regulatory authorization, and large-scale manufacturing of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. From July through December 2021 Dr. Johnson was detailed as Chief Operating Officer of the CAG. In this role, Dr. Johnson managed the procurement and nation-wide distribution of all adult and pediatric COVID-19 vaccines. During this time, Dr. Johnson also oversaw expansion of the CAG to include monoclonal antibody procurement, inventory management, ordering and distribution, and the planning and execution of the nation-wide COVID-19 oral-antiviral ordering, inventory management, distribution, and data collection systems. Dr. Johnson managed the successful transition of the CAG responsibilities to the HHS Coordination Operations and Response Element (H-CORE) when he returned to BARDA as the Director of Medical Countermeasures Programs.

Prior to joining BARDA, Dr. Johnson served for fourteen years in positions of increasing responsibility at the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Johnson has also previously held positions at Dynport Vaccine Company and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. He has served as a technical expert to other organizations working in the biodefense and public health sectors, including the Food and Drug Administration and Department of Defense, as well as the World Health Organization.

Dr. Johnson received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, and his B.S. from the University of Idaho.