“Metabolic disease research continues to evolve rapidly, creating new opportunities to improve patient outcomes. Our task force brings together clinical and operational expertise across the network to deliver consistent, patient-centered trials that help advance the next generation of metabolic therapies.”
Kimball Johnson, MD, is a board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and previously a Certified HIV Specialist by the American Academy of HIV Medicine.
She also earned board certification by the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. A 1987 cum laude graduate of Emory University School of Medicine, Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science in physical education from Taylor University, where she studied exercise physiology and biomechanics. She began her medical career after college as a paramedic at Grady Memorial Hospital, where she gained priceless experience in patient care.
Johnson is a Diplomate of the American College of Physicians and the American Society of Internal Medicine. She has participated in numerous professional medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, the Southern Medical Association, the Medical Association of Georgia, the American Medical Women’s Association, the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Academy of HIV medicine.
Johnson was involved in the HIV pandemic from the very beginning. She was a trailblazer in the HIV medical community at the onset of the US epidemic through its peak in Atlanta and was involved in the original AZT and DDI clinical trials, which was just the beginning of research trials for Dr. Johnson. Johnson went on to serve as a Sub-Investigator with Aids Research Consortium (ARCA) on multiple HIV trials.
She was in private practice in Internal Medicine, Integrative & Holistic Medicine & HIV medicine for over 30 years. A unique blend that offered “more tools in her toolbox” that could offer more options and solutions for her patients. This and her empathy, passion, and non-judgmental nature drew patients from all over the world to see her.
Since then Johnson has always been intrigued by infectious disease clinical trials, and when other physicians run away, she runs towards the disease. She has served on Rare Disease and Infections, and other clinical trials full time since 2009 as the Medical Director of CenExel Decatur.
Together CenExel Decatur and Dr. Kimball Johnson have worked on over 300 clinical trials together and have randomized over 10,000 patients into clinical trials for various disease states in Phase I-IV.
Johnson was certified as a CrossFit Level 1 (CF-L1) Trainer. She was a team physician for the American College of Sports Medicine and served as a physician for the 1995 Ironman Triathlon World Championship. She was physician coordinator for the Peachtree Road Race medical team from 1997-2007, and was a volunteer physician for the U.S. Olympic Training Center in 1999. Her other interests are dogs, dogs, and more dogs.
She is currently the Medical Director of CenExel Decatur, CenExel Decatur Savannah & iAM Health & Wellness, a non-profit clinic that treats patients who currently have no healthcare until they can find a permanent clinic or doctor to manage their care.
She also serves as a Principal Investigator in multiple clinical trials including COVID19 studies.