Kelly Johnson, MD, MPH

Assistant Adjunct Professor

I am the Medical Director of the California STI/HIV Prevention Training Center at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the UCSF Division of Infectious Diseases, and a Public Health Medical Officer in the STD Control Branch at the California Department of Public Health. I am board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases and attend on the inpatient Infectious Diseases consult service at UCSF. My research and public health interests include HIV/STI prevention and control, and real-world implementation of HIV PrEP.
Education
2022 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California
Fellowship - Infectious Diseases, 2021 - , University of California San Francisco
Fellowship - Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2021 - , University of California San Francisco & California Department of Public Health
Residency - Internal Medicine, 2018 - , University of California San Francisco
Internship - Internal Medicine, 2016 - , University of California San Francisco
MD, MPH, 2015 - , Eastern Virginia Medical School
Honors and Awards
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 2014
  • Gold Humanism Honor Society, Eastern Virginia Medical Society, 2014
  • Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 2012
  • Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, University of Virginia, 2007
Publications

  1. Chevalier FJ, Bacon O, Johnson KA, Cohen SE. Syphilis: A Review. 2025. PMID: 41100079


  2. Schildhauer S, Saadeh K, Snyder RE, Tang EC, Chapman E, Sykes DA, Peters P, Jacobson K, Watson J, Johnson KA. Prolonged Monkeypox Virus Infections, California, USA, May 2022-August 2024. 2025. PMID: 40936180


  3. Johnson KA, Fernando R, Plotzker R, Burghardt NO, Snyder RE, Hanft W, Mohr K, Alvarado L, Crise G, Tang EC, Jacobson K. Characteristics Associated with Disseminated Gonococcal Infections vs Uncomplicated Gonorrhea: A California Case-Control Study, 2021-2022. 2025. PMID: 40493739


  4. Hanft W, Saadeh K, Snyder RE, Watson J, Tang EC, Chapman E, Ramos M, Johnson KA. Clinical and Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Ocular Mpox in California, May 2022-September 2023. 2025. PMID: 40464384


  5. Burnside H, Kelley D, Park IU, Reno H, Wendel K, Osborne-Wells M, Ford B, Coor A, Barbee LA, Quilter LAS, Johnson KA. Implementing a 24/7 Congenital Syphilis Hotline for California Clinicians: Results from a 13-week Pilot Project. 2025. PMID: 40178093


  6. Levy V, Branzuela A, Hsieh K, Getabecha S, Berumen R, Saadeh K, Snyder RE, Marek G, Dodson D, Newman A, Hacker JK, Kath C, Minhaj FS, Gigante CM, Gearhart S, Kallen A, Hutson CL, Jacobson K, Clade I Mpox Response Team. First Clade Ib Monkeypox Virus Infection Reported in the Americas - California, November 2024. Volume 74 of Issue 4. 2025. PMID: 39946302


  7. Pearce CF, Johnson KA, Meshkaty N, Tang EC. A Pair of Hearts: Two Cases of Mitral Valve Gonococcal Endocarditis. Volume 52 of Issue 5. 2024. PMID: 39481008


  8. Snyder RE, Saadeh K, Tang EC, Johnson KA, Holland SN, Quint J, Burghardt NO, Chai SJ, Fernando R, Barrera KG, Hernandez C, McManus K, Lorenz K, Maycott J, McGinley J, Lewnard JA. Sexual Exposures Associated With Mpox Infection: California, November 2022 to June 2023. Volume 229 of Issue Supplement_2. 2024. PMID: 37820738


  9. Schubert SL, Miele K, Quilter LAS, Agnew-Brune C, Coor A, Kachur R, Lewis F, Ard KL, Wendel K, Anderson T, Nagendra G, Tromble E, National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers. Understanding the Impact of Mpox on Sexual Health Clinical Services: A National Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Survey-United States, 2022. Volume 51 of Issue 1. 2023. PMID: 37889929


  10. Contag CA, Mische L, Fong I, Karan A, Vaidya A, McCormick DW, Bower W, Hacker JK, Johnson K, SanJuan P, Crebbin L, Temmins C, Sahni H, Bogler Y, Cooper JD, Narasimhan S. Treatment of Mpox with Suspected Tecovirimat Resistance in Immunocompromised Patient, United States, 2022. Volume 29 of Issue 12. 2023. PMID: 37856215


  11. Schildhauer S, Saadeh K, Vance J, Quint J, Salih T, Lo T, Keinde A, Chojolan E, Gotlieb E, Ramos M, Chapman E, Peters P, Watson J, Johnson KA, Tang EC, Jacobson K, Snyder RE. Reduced Odds of Mpox-Associated Hospitalization Among Persons Who Received JYNNEOS Vaccine - California, May 2022-May 2023. Volume 72 of Issue 36. 2023. PMID: 37676838


  12. Johnson KA, Burghardt NO, Snyder RE, Plotzker RE, Imp BM, Murphy R, Jacobson K, Tang EC. Comparing 7-Day Versus 6-8-Day Penicillin Treatment Intervals Among Pregnant People With Syphilis of Late or Unknown Duration: No Difference Found in Incidence of Congenital Syphilis. Volume 10 of Issue 6. 2023. PMID: 37389226


  14. Johnson KA, Okochi H, Arreguin M, Watabe J, Glidden DV, Chattopadhyay A, Imbert E, Hickey MD, Gandhi M, Spinelli M. Brief Report: Urine Tenofovir Levels Strongly Correlate with Virologic Suppression in Patients with HIV on Tenofovir Alafenamide-Based Antiretroviral Therapy. 2022. PMID: 36253952


  15. Johnson KA, Tang EC, Alvarado L, Hernandez CL, Fernando R, Burghardt NO, Snyder RE, Salas KL, Franco R, Marston M, Martinez A, Jacobson K. Disseminated Gonococcal Infections-Lessons Learned From an Ongoing California Public Health Investigation. Volume 50 of Issue 6. 2023. PMID: 36735912


  16. Tang EC, Johnson KA, Alvarado L, Burghardt NO, Hernandez C, Lopez E, Jenkins-Barnes T, Hughes B, Salas KL, Jacobson KR. Characterizing the Rise of Disseminated Gonococcal Infections in California, July 2020-July 2021. Volume 76 of Issue 2. 2023. PMID: 36189949


  17. Johnson KA, Levy M, Brosnan H, Kohn RP, Cohen SE. Texting Lost-to-follow-up PrEP Patients from a San Francisco Sexual Health Clinic. 2022. PMID: 35841493


  18. Johnson KA, Snyder RE, Tang EC, de Guzman NS, Plotzker RE, Murphy R, Jacobson K. Geospatial Social Determinants of Health Correlate with Disparities in Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Cases in California. Volume 11 of Issue 5. 2022. PMID: 35631068


  19. Johnson KA, Graglia S, Lynch ED, De Mesa J, Antunez E, Torres S, Coffey S, Cohen SE. Concurrent COVID-19 and Acute HIV: A Case Report and Diagnostic Review. 2021. PMID: 34824585


  21. Johnson KA, Burghardt NO, Tang EC, Long P, Plotzker R, Gilson D, Murphy R, Jacobson K. Measuring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sexually Transmitted Diseases Public Health Surveillance and Program Operations in the State of California. Volume 48 of Issue 8. 2021. PMID: 33859146


  22. Johnson KA, Chen MJ, Kohn R, Sachdev D, Bacon O, Lee S, Cohen SE. Acute HIV at the time of initiation of Pre or Post Exposure Prophylaxis: Impact on drug-resistance and clinical outcomes. 2021. PMID: 33512849


  23. Johnson KA, Niu X, Glidden DV, Castillo-Mancilla JR, Yager J, MaWhinney S, Morrow M, Okochi H, Cressey TR, Drain PK, Gandhi M, Anderson PL, Spinelli MA. Lower Urine Tenofovir Concentrations Among Individuals Taking Tenofovir Alafenamide Versus Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate: Implications for Point-of-Care Testing. 2021. PMID: 34285929


  24. Johnson KA, Hessol NA, Kohn R, Nguyen TQ, Mara ES, Hsu L, Scheer S, Cohen SE. HIV Seroconversion in the Era of Pharmacologic Prevention: A Case-Control Study at a San Francisco STD Clinic. 2019. PMID: 31192823


  25. Sanchez IM, Lowenstein S, Johnson KA, Babik J, Haag C, Keller JJ, Ortega-Loayza AG, Cohen J, McCalmont TH, Demer AM, Mansh MD, Hylwa SA, Liu J, Shinkai K. Clinical Features of Neutrophilic Dermatosis Variants Resembling Necrotizing Fasciitis. Volume 155 of Issue 1. 2019. PMID: 30383110


  26. Johnson KA, Ross JS. The Importance of Independent Evaluation. Volume 177 of Issue 9. 2017. PMID: 28759680


  27. Johnson KA, Ferguson KP, Sriraman NK, Mukherjee P, Gowen CW. Pediatric resident perceptions of public health education: learner-based insights into curriculum design and implementation. Volume 13 of Issue 6. 2013. PMID: 23877035


  29. Johnson KA, Coleman N. Toward radiological preparedness. Volume 3 of Issue 2. 2009. PMID: 19491598


  30. Johnson KA, Handrigan MT. Annals of Emergency Medicine 2009. PMID: