Dr. Shaneeta M. Johnson

Dr. Shaneeta Johnson is an Associate Professor of Surgery, Chief of Minimally Invasive, Robotic, and Bariatric Surgery, and Program Director of the general Surgery Residency Program at Morehouse School of Medicine, Department of Surgery and Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also a Senior Fellow in Global Health Equity at the Satcher Health Leadership Institute and a Fellow in the National Medical Association Climate Change and Health Equity Fellowship.  She has experience as a surgeon, clinician, educator, and researcher. Dr. Johnson received her Doctorate of Medicine degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, and a Bachelor of Arts from Johns Hopkins University in Neuroscience. She completed her General Surgery residency at Howard University Hospital and Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Dr. Johnson also completed her Executive MBA at Brandeis University.  Dr. Johnson is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a Fellow of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons (ASMBS), and a Fellow of the International College of Surgeons. She is board-certified in General Surgery and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

Dr. Johnson currently serves on the Board of the Georgia Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, the Executive Board of the Surgical Section of the National Medical Association, and the Board of Outstanding Atlanta.  The American College of Surgeons selected Dr. Johnson to serve as the Director of the ACS Mentorship program, a member of the Governing Council of the YFA, and a Liaison Representative to the Board of Governors International Chapter Workgroup, and the Health Policy Advisory Council. The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) appointed Dr. Johnson to the Bariatric and Metabolic Committee, Education Council, as well as the We R SAGES Diversity Committee and Diversity, Professional and Leadership Committees. She has been elected to serve as the President of the Georgia Chapter of ASMBS.

Dr. Johnson’s fields of expertise include health equity, climate change, robotic minimally invasive surgery, and bariatric surgery. She is passionate about the impact of climate change on health equity globally especially regarding the impact of health systems on the environment.  She is a sought-after speaker whose expertise has afforded her invitations to speak both nationally and internationally including the Pennsylvania Senate, Georgia House of Representatives, the Congressional Black Caucus, and many international venues such as Japan, England, Trinidad, Guyana, and the Bahamas.  As a researcher, Dr. Johnson is a published author and presenter in the fields of health equity, obesity, robotic surgery, preoperative endoscopy, and bariatric surgery.  Her work has been published in major journals and she has been a sought-after speaker on these topics both nationally and internationally.  Additionally, Dr. Johnson serves as a reviewer and member of several journal editorial boards.  She developed and implemented a surgical simulation and testing center and several successful educational curricula.  She has also obtained more than $2 million of funding for resident and student training.

Dr. Johnson is a recipient of many awards including the 2020 National Medical Association Emerging Leader Award, the 2020 American College of Surgeons Claude Organ Jr. Traveling Fellowship, the 2020 Top Women in Medicine honoree, the 2019 BizWomen Outstanding Women Leaders in Healthcare, Excellence in Healthcare Award as well as teaching awards.