Rebecca Nicole Johnson is an Australian scientist and science communicator. Since April 2015, Johnson has been Director and Chief Scientist of the , Sydney, since the establishment of the Australian Museum in 1827. She is also head of the Australian Museum's , a wildlife forensics laboratory based at the Australian Museum. Johnson is Chief Investigator of the and co-leader of the Framework Data Initiative.
Johnson has worked in animal molecular genetics in laboratories in Sydney, Townsville Queensland, Melbourne and Boston USA. She joined the Australian Museum in 2003 as laboratory manager, later became Head of Research before becoming head of the Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics. She is now head of both the Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics and three other units that comprise the Australian Museum's Scientific Infrastructure. Johnson established and is Chief Investigator of , in partnership with the University of NSW, the University of Sydney, the University of the Sunshine Coast. The complete koala genome was published in . The team is sequencing the genome and of this iconic marsupial to assist in the conservation of this threatened species. One of Johnson's most significant achievements to date has been to establish the Australian Museum as one of the global leaders in wildlife forensic science – a sub-discipline of forensic science that uses the Museum's unique collections, expertise and laboratory facilities in an innovative way. Johnson's team works across industry, law enforcement and academia as the Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics is one of the fewISO 17025 accredited wildlife forensic science laboratories in the Australasian region. The team works with wildlife managers from zoos, the or government who want to utilise DNA and genomics techniques in the management of their animals or for law enforcement purposes through . Johnson has worked with sample types as diverse as , , gall bladders, seized fish meat, salted animal skin, bones and horns. Some of these cases have resulted in prosecution and heavy penalties in court. Johnson is a member of the , and in 2014 Johnson became one of the few people in Australia to be appointed as a Wildlife Forensic Examiner by the Australian Federal Environment Minister under section 303GS of . She is also a certified wildlife forensic scientist under the certification program run by the international . Johnson is president of the , currently the secretary of the Genetics Society of Australasia and is Director of Membership and Outreach of the International . She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales. Johnson's career has been supported by her science mentors Marianne Frommer, John Sved and the late . She in turn is passionate about mentoring and is an energetic mentor to .
