Tracy Johnson was appointed dean of life sciences in September 2020. She is holder of the Keith and Cecilia Terasaki Presidential Endowed Chair, and a professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology.

Johnson, who joined the UCLA faculty in 2013, is recognized for her scientific leadership, contributions to educational innovation, and as a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion. She is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor and has served as associate dean for inclusive excellence in the division of life sciences since January 2015.

Prior to joining UCLA, she was a member of the UC San Diego biological sciences faculty and a Jane Coffin Childs postdoctoral research fellow at the California Institute of Technology. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and cell biology at UC San Diego and her doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology at UC Berkeley.