Research Interests

Neurobiology of thirst, salt appetite, and body fluid homeostasis; health biopsychology; mechanisms of stress-induced hypertension and heart failure; cardiovascular function and behavior; neuroplasticity and the pathogenesis of hypertension; the comorbidity of heart disease and psychological depression; sex differences and cardiovascular disease; neuroplasticity and the pathogenesis of hypertension

Training Areas

Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience

Research Group

Health Psychology

Representative Publications

Xue B, Yin H, Guo F, Beltz T, Thunhorst R, Johnson AK. Maternal gestational hypertension-induced sensitization of angiotensin II hypertension is reversed by bilateral renal denervation or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition. Hypertension 69:669-677, 2017. PMID: 28223469; PMCID: PMC5344733

Xue, B., Yu Y, Zhang Z, Guo F, Beltz TG, Thunhorst RL, Felder RB, Johnson AK: Leptin mediates high fat diet sensitization of angiotensin II-elicited hypertension by upregulating the brain renin-angiotensin system and inflammation. Hypertension 67(5):970-976, 2016. PMID 27021010; PMCID: PMC4833570

Xue B, Thunhorst RL, Yu Y, Guo F, Beltz TG, Felder RB, Johnson AK: Central renin-angiotensin system activation and  information induced by high fat diet sensitize angiotensin II-elicited hypertension. Hypertension 67:163-170, 2016. PMID:26573717; PMCID: PMC4834194

Johnson AK, Zhang Z, Clayton SC, Beltz TG, Hurley SW, Thunhorst RL, Xue B. The roles of sensitization and neuroplasticity in the long-term maintenance of blood pressure and hypertension. (Invited Review). Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 309:R1309-R1325, 2015. PMID:26290101; PMCID PMC4698407

Grippo, A.J., Johnson A.K.: Stress, depression and cardiovascular dysregulation: a review of neurobiological mechanisms and the integration of research from preclinical disease models. Stress, 2009, 12:1-21. PMID 19116888.

Morris, M. J., Na, E. S., & Johnson, A. K.: Salt craving: The psychobiology of pathogenic sodium intake. Physiology & Behavior, 2008, 94(5):709-721. PMID: 18514747. PMCID: PMC2491403