Fascinated by the role bacteria play in interacting with our immune system, Julia-Green Johnson, PhD, an immunologist and microbiologist, has been leading important research in this area at the Ontario Tech University  for over a decade, with the goal of improving our understanding of the effects of diet and gut microbes on immunity and health of humans and animals. An Associate Professor at Ontario Tech University's Faculty of Science, the impact of Dr. Green-Johnson’s work has had far-reaching implications. Her research is supported by industry and government with the goal of understanding how microbes and food components affect the immune system. Sharing her knowledge and expertise with her students, Dr. Green-Johnson hopes collaborative research will inspire them to continue pushing the boundaries of discovery. Looking through a microscope teeming with microbes in her high school biology class was enough to pull Dr. Green-Johnson into the world of science, and she has been immersed in the study of their effects on the immune system ever since. Dr. Green-Johnson earned both her Bachelor of Science (Honours) and her Master of Science from the Department of Microbiology at the University of Saskatchewan in 1983 and 1986, respectively. She obtained her Doctorate from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in 1990, examining effects of aging on the immune system; and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology at the University of Manitoba in 1994, focusing on neuro-immune interactions. She began her teaching and research career 20 years ago at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia where she first held the position of assistant professor (CLT) in the Department of Biology; then she was appointed assistant professor (tenure track) in Acadia’s School of Nutrition and Food Science, and later became an honorary research associate in the Department of Biology. Actively involved in sharing her research for the benefit of organizations dedicated to advancing knowledge in microbiology, immunology and nutrition, Dr. Green-Johnson is a member of the Canadian Society of Microbiologists, the American Society of Microbiologists, the Institute of Food Technologists, the American Association of Immunologists, and the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology.