Eric S. Moses Edowu Johnson M.D.; Ph.D

Eric S. Johnson passed away on April 10, 2019. Eric was the 3rd child of six children born to the late Ola and Vivi Johnson of Percival Street, Freetown Sierra Leone. He was a resident of Ft. Worth TX since 2006 and Little Rock AR since 2012 He attended St. Edward’s Primary School to the fifth form. Then went on to 6th form at the Sierra Leone Grammar School where he graduated high school. He did his first year B.Sc. studies at Fourah Bay College, in Freetown, Sierra Leone before going on to obtain a British scholarship to attend The University of New Castle Upon-Tyne where he studied medicine. He obtained his medical degree MB.BS in 1970 and did his internships at Sunderland General and Bromley by-Bow in London. He later went on to The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where he obtained a Diploma in Tropical Public Health (DTPH) in 1972. He returned to his native Sierra Leone and worked in Bo from 1973 – 1976 at the CDC centers for disease control as Principal Medical Officer. He was later transferred to Freetown as PMO in 1976-1977 Cline Town heading the clinics there. In 1977 he obtained a WHO, The World Health Organization scholarship to attend Harvard University School of Public Health in Boston, USA where he pursued an MPH. He graduated from Harvard in 1978 with honors in 10 out of 12 courses going on to Johns Hopkins School of public health where he completed a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and was the first recipient of the Mary B. Meyer award of Excellence. He was also elected into the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, in recognition of academic excellence in science. In 1982 he went on to take a position with World Health Organization in Lyon France where he established an International Registry for Cancer Prevalence. Returning to the US in 1986 as a visiting scientist with NIH National Institutes of Health at Research Triangle, in North Carolina where he accomplished an extensive body of research on various Cancers. In 1993 he took up a position as Associate Professor at Tulane University School of Public Health and Hygiene. He left his position at Tulane in 2006 after Katrina in 2005and took up a position as Professor and Chairman of two departments at the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center, Fort Worth. In 2012 he accepted a position as Chair and professor at the University of Arkansas (UAMS). His final position was in Arkansas as professor and former chairman of two departments where he remained until up to a few months following a brief illness and his death on April 10, 2019. Eric's body of work is renowned throughout the public health and epidemiological world. His research is best exemplified by his comprehensive and thorough investigations of cancer among workers in the meat industry. In addition to analytical epidemiological studies, he conducted extensive experiments on animal oncogenic viruses. These experiments have identified several biomarkers. His body of research has helped identify a number of cancer risk factors in the meat industry, including oncogenic viruses, industrial chemical and radiation. Few others in his field of investigations are comparable to Dr. Johnson's work in depth and breath. He had many colleagues, acquaintances, and a cadre of students from all corners of the world who looked up to him and whom he mentored. They admired his intellect, work ethic and contribution to his field. He was extremely hard working, disciplined and focused. Eric was not only an academician but an all-rounder, a natural athlete. He was an avid sports fan. He enjoyed playing soccer, tennis, ping pong and later continued to stay physically fit by going to the gym several days a week. He loved watching sports games on TV and was a supporter of several college and professional sports teams to include Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bulls and more recently the University of Alabama. He also played the piano and guitar and taught his children to play. He was a very private person who enjoyed his family close relatives and friends. He is survived by Edwina-Jane; children, Delin, Sesin and wife, Edwina, Janelin; grandchildren, Daelin, Jackson, Cara, Sesin Jr. and Jodi. Siblings, Ivy, Iva, Claudette, Ada and Claudius. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Burn Center.