Mark P. Johnson, MD, MS

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Mark Johnson, MD, is an Emeritus Professor of Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics.

Areas of Expertise: Fetal obstructive uropathy, Prenatal diagnosis and fetal therapy

Background

Dr. Johnson is an Emeritus Professor of Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He was an attending physician in the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment (CFDT) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) from 1998 until 2019, where he held the George Loeb Harrison Endowed Research Chair in Fetal Therapy and served as Director of Obstetrical Services for the CFDT.

A true innovator in the fields of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Dr. Johnson helped develop fetoscopic surgical procedures for twin-twin transfusion syndrome and prenatal treatment of fetal lower urinary tract obstructions. He has made significant discoveries examining long term developmental outcomes in children who have undergone fetal spina bifida repair, including demonstrated improvement in motor function in the lower extremities and a decreased need for shunting.

A practiced geneticist, Dr. Johnson collaborated with Alan Flake, MD, FACS, FAAP, to advance techniques for prenatal gene and stem cell therapy.

An invaluable member of the CFDT team, Dr. Johnson specialized in fetal obstructive uropathy and prenatal diagnosis and therapy. He was continually inspired by the diverse patient population at the CFDT and the often challenging conditions they face, constantly seeking to create the best possible outcomes for every patient and patient family.

“I am proud of the years I served at CHOP. Since I joined the team in 1998, the CFDT made big advances in the multidisciplinary imaging and evaluation of pregnancies complicated by anomalies,” he says. “The team continues to develop and refine techniques to treat complicated twin pregnancies, congenital tumors, urinary tract obstructions and inherited genetic diseases and improve survival rates and long term outcomes through stem cell and gene therapy.”

In spring 2015. Dr. Johnson appeared in a three-part documentary series airing on PBS called TWICE BORN: Stories from the Special Delivery Unit. The Emmy® Award-winning documentary offered a look inside the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and its unique Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit.

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN

Residency

Obstetrics and Gynecology - University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI

Fellowship

Reproductive Genetics - Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI

Board Certification

Clinical Genetics and Genomics – American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics
Obstetrics and Gynecology – American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Graduate Degree

MS in Medical Genetics - University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN

Titles and Academic Titles

George Lieb Harrison Endowed Chair in Fetal Therapy

Emeritus Professor of Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Departments and Services

Publications

Papers

2020

Houtrow AJ, Thom EA, Fletcher JM, Burrows PK, Adzick NS, Thomas NH, Brock III JW, Cooper T, Lee H, Bilaniuk L, Glenn OA, Pruthi S, MacPherson C, Farmer DL, Johnson MP, Howell LJ, Gupta N, Walker WO. “Prenatal Repair of Myelomeningocele and School-Age Functional Outcomes,” Pediatrics, online January 24, 2020.

2019

Russell MW, Moldenhauer JS, Rychik J, Nancy B. Burnham NB, Erin Zullo E, Samuel I Parry S, Simmons RA, Elovitz MA, Nicolson SC, Linn RL, Johnson MP, Yu S, Matthew Sampson M, Hakonarson H, Gaynor JW. Damaging variants in proangiogenic genes impair growth in fetuses with cardiac defects. [Published online ahead of print June 18, 2019] J Pediatr.

Mattar CNZ, Tan YW, Johana N, Biswas A, Tan LG, Choolani M, Bakkour S, Johnson M, Chan JKY, Flake AW. Fetoscopic versus Ultrasound-Guided Intravascular Delivery of Maternal Bone Marrow Cells in Fetal Macaques: A Technical Model for Intrauterine Haemopoietic Cell Transplantation. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2019 Jan 18;:1-12. PMID: 30661073

2018

Fraga MV, Laje P, Peranteau WH, Hedrick HL, Khalek N, Gebb JS, Moldenhauer JS, Johnson MP, Flake AW, Adzick NS: The influence of gestational age, delivery mode, and abdominal wall closure method in neonates with uncomplicated gastroschisis.  Pediatr Surg Int 34:415-9, 2018.

Farmer DL, Thom EA, Brock JW, Burrows PK, Johnson MP, Howell LJ, Farrell JA, Gupta N, Adzick NS for the MOMS Investigators: The Management of the Myelomeningocele Study: Full cohort 30 month pediatric outcomes. Am J Obstet Gyn218:256.e1-13, 2018.

Schindewolf E, Khalek N, Johnson MP, Gebb J, Coleman B, Crowley TB, Zackai EH, McDonald-McGinn DM, Moldenhauer JS. Expanding the fetal phenotype: Prenatal sonographic findings and perinatal outcomes in a cohort of patients with a confirmed 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Am J Med Genet A. 2018 Jul 28. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38665. [Epub ahead of print]

Victoria T, Srinivasan AS, Pogoriler J, Kreiger PA, Laje P, Oliver ER, Danzer E, Johnson AM, Moldenhauer JS, Peranteau WH, Adzick NS. The rare solid fetal lung lesion with T2-hypointense components: prenatal imaging findings with postnatal pathological correlation. Pediatr Radiol. 2018 Jul 14; PMID: 30008034

Vrecenak JD, Pearson EG, Todorow CA, Li H, Johnson MP, Flake AW. A Preclinical Canine Model of Graft Versus Host Disease Following in Utero Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2018 May 23. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29802901

Baumgarten HD, Gebb JS, Khalek N, Moldenhauer JS, Johnson MP, Peranteau WH, Hedrick HL, Adzick NS, Flake AW. Preemptive Delivery and Immediate Resection for Fetuses with High-Risk Sacrococcygeal Teratomas. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2018 May 7;:1-8. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29734172 

Laje P, Fraga MV, Peranteau WH, Hedrick HL, Khalek N, Gebb JS, Moldenhauer JS, Johnson MP, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Complex gastroschisis: Clinical spectrum and neonatal outcomes at a referral center. J Pediatr Surg. 2018 Mar 14;. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29628208 

Gebb JS, Khalek N, Qamar H, Ozcan T, Johnson MP, Oliver ER, Coleman BG, Peranteau WH, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Adzick NS, Moldenhauer JS: High tumor volume to fetal weight ratio is associated with worse fetal outcomes and increased maternal risks in fetuses with sacrococcygeal teratoma. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2019;45(2):94-101. doi: 10.1159/000486782. Epub 2018 Mar 1.

Farmer DL, Thom EA, Brock JW, Burrows PK, Johnson MP, Howell LJ, Farrell JA, Gupta N5, Adzick NS. Management of Myelomeningocele Study Investigators. The Management of Myelomeningocele Study: full cohort 30-month pediatric outcomes. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Feb;218(2): Epub 2017 Dec 12. PMID: 29246577

Gaynor JW, Parry S, Moldenhauer JS, Simmons RA, Rychik J, Ittenbach RF, Russell WW, Zullo E, Ward JL, Nicolson SC, Spray TL, Johnson MP. The impact of the maternal-fetal environment on outcomes of surgery for congenital heart disease in neonates. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2018 Feb 13. doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezy015. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29447332 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Victoria T, Danzer E, Oliver ER, Edgar JC, Iyoob S, Partridge EA, Johnson AM, Peranteau WH, Coleman BG, Flake AW, Johnson MP, Hedrick HL, Adzick NS: Right congenital diaphragmatic hernias: Is there a correlation between prenatal lung volume and postnatal survival, as in isolated left diaphragmatic hernias? Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy 2018; 43: 12-18, January 2018.

2017

Kim AG, Danzer E, Moldenhauer JS, Khalek N, McClain LE, Waqar LN, Hedrick HL, Johnson MP, Adzick NS, Peranteau WH, Flake AW. Amniotic Fluid Concentrations of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Do Not Correlate with Prenatal Metrics in Fetuses with Myelomeningocele. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2017 Jul 29. Doi: 10.1159/000478258. [Epub ahead of print].

Antiel RM, Flake AW, Johnson MP, Khalek N, Rintoul NE, Lantos JD, Curlin FA, Tilburt JC, Feudtner C. Specialty-Based Variation in Applying Maternal-Fetal Surgery Trial Evidence. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2017 Mar 17. Doi:10.1159/000455024 [Epub ahead of print]

Peranteau WH, Iyoob SD, Boelig MM, Khalek N, Moldenhauer JS, Johnson MP, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Coleman BG, Adzick NS. Prenatal growth characteristics of lymphatic malformations. J Pediatr Surg. 2017 Jan;52(1):65-68

2016

Rychik J, Khalek N, Gaynor JW, Johnson MP, Adzick NS, Flake AM, Hedrick HL. Fetal intrapericardial teratoma: natural history and management including successful in utero surgery. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Dec;215(6):780.e1-780.e7.

Johnson MP, Bennett KA, Rand L, Burrows PK, Thom EA, Howell LJ, Farrell JA, Dabrowiak ME, Brock JW 3rd, Farmer DL, Adzick NS, MOMS Investigators. The Management of Myelomeningocele Study: obstetrical outcomes and risk factors for obstetrical complications following prenatal surgery. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Dec;215(6):778.e1-778.e9.

Soni S, Moldenhauer JS, Spinner SS, Rendon N, Khalek N, Martinez-Poyer J, Johnson MP, Adzick NS. Chorioamniotic membrane separation and preterm premature rupture of membranes complicating in utero myelomeningocele repair. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016 May;214(5):647.e1-7

Saul D, Degenhardt K, Iyoob SD, Surrey LF, Johnson AM, Johnson MP, Rychik J, Victoria T. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome and the nutmeg lung pattern in utero: a cause and effect relationship or prognostic indicator? Pediatr Radiol. 2016 Apr;46(4):483-9. doi: 10.1007/s00247-015-3514-6. Epub 2015 Dec 21.

Danzer E, Thomas NH, Thomas A, Friedman KB, Gerdes M, Koh J, Adzick NS, Johnson MP. Long-term neurofunctional outcome, executive functioning, and behavioral adaptive skills following fetal myelomeningocele surgery. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Feb;214(2):269.e1-8. 

Peranteau WH, Iyoob SD, Boelig MM, Khalek N, Moldenhauer JS, Johnson MP, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Coleman BG, Adzick NS. Prenatal growth characteristics of lymphatic malformations. J Pediatr Surg. 2017 Jan;52(1):65-68.

Peranteau WH, Boelig MM, Khalek N, Moldenhauer JS, Martinez-Poyer J, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Johnson MP, Adzick NS. Effect of single and multiple courses of maternal betamethasone on prenatal congenital lung lesion growth and fetal survival. J Pediatr Surg. 2016 Jan;51(1):28-32.

2015

Tulipan N, Wellons JC 3rd, Thom EA, Gupta N, Sutton LN, Burrows PK, Farmer D, Walsh W, Johnson MP, Rand L, Tolivaisa S, D’alton ME, Adzick NS, MOMS Investigators. Prenatal surgery for myelomeningocele and the need for cerebrospinal fluid shunt placement. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2015 Dec;16(6):613-20.

Soni S, Moldenhauer JS, Spinner SS, Rendon N, Khalek N, Martinez-Poyer J, Johnson MP, Adzick NS. Chorioamniotic Membrane Separation and Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes Complicating In Utero Myelomeningocele Repair. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Dec 12.

Olive A, Moldenhauer JS, Laje P, Johnson MP, Coleman BG, Victoria T, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Axillary lymphatic malformations: Prenatal evaluation and postnatal outcomes. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Oct;50(10):1711-5.

Peranteau WH, Boelig MM, Khalek N, Moldenhauer JS, Martinez-Poyer J, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Johnson MP, Adzick NS. Effect of single and multiple courses of maternal betamethasone on prenatal congenital lung lesion growth and fetal survival. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Oct 23.

Danzer E, Thomas NH, Thomas A, Friedman KB, Gerdes M, Koh J, Adzick NS, Johnson MP. Long-term neurofunctional outcome, executive functioning, and behavioral adaptive skills following fetal myelomeningocele surgery. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Oct 9.

Tulipan N, Wellons JC 3rd, Thom EA, Gupta N, Sutton LN, Burrows PK, Farmer D, Walsh W, Johnson MP, Rand L, Tolivaisa S, D'alton ME, Adzick NS;  for the MOMS Investigators. Prenatal surgery for myelomeningocele and the need for cerebrospinal fluid shunt placement. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2015 Sep 15:1-8. [Epub ahead of print]

Moldenhauer JS, Soni S, Rintoul NE, Spinner SS, Khalek N, Martinez-Poyer J, Flake AW, Hedrick HL, Peranteau WH, Rendon N, Koh J, Howell LJ, Heuer GG, Sutton LN, Johnson MP, Adzick NS. Fetal Myelomeningocele Repair: The Post-MOMS Experience at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2015;37(3):235-40. Epub 2014 Aug 15.

Olive A, Moldenhauer JS, Laje P, Johnson MP, Coleman BG, Victoria T, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Axillary lymphatic malformations: Prenatal evaluation and postnatal outcomes. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Apr 29. pii: S0022-3468(15)00312-7. doi: 10.1016.

Laje P, Peranteau WH, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Johnson MP, Moldenhauer JS, Adzick NS. Ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) in the management of cervical lymphatic malformation. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Feb;50(2):311-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2014.11.024. Epub 2014 Nov 10.

Peranteau WH, Scott Adzick N, Boelig MM, Alan W F, Hedrick HL, Howell LJ, Moldenhauer JS, Khalek N, Martinez-Poyer J, Johnson MP. Thoracoamniotic shunts for the management of fetal lung lesions and pleural effusions: a single-institution review and predictors of survival in 75 cases. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Feb;50(2):301-5.

Rychik J, Cohen D, Tran KM, Szwast A, Natarajan SS, Johnson MP, Moldenhauer JS, Khalek N, Martinez-Poyer J, Flake AW, Hedrick HL, Adzick NS. The role of echocardiography in the intraoperative management of the fetus undergoing myelomeningocele repair. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2015;37(3):172-8.

2014

Vrecenak JD, Howell LJ, Khalek N, Moldenhauer JS, Johnson MP, Coleman BG, Victoria T, Hedrick HL, Peranteau WH, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Outcomes of prenatally diagnosed lung lesions in multigestational pregnancies. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2014 Dec;36(4):312-9.

Lang SS, Goldberg E, Zarnow D, Johnson MP, Storm PB, Heuer GG. Prenatal diagnosis of hemimegalencephaly. World Neurosurg. 2014 Jul-Aug;82(1-2):241.e5-8

Bebbington M, Victoria T, Danzer E, Moldenhauer J, Khalek N, Johnson M, Hedrick H, Adzick NS. Comparison of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging parameters in predicting survival in isolated left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Jun;43(6):670-4.

Jackson EM, Schwartz DM, Sestokas AK, Zarnow DM, Adzick NS, Johnson MP, Heuer GG, Sutton LN. Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring in patients undergoing tethered cord surgery after fetal myelomeningocele repair. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2014 Apr;13(4):355-61.

Danzer E, Johnson MP. Fetal surgery for neural tube defects. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2014 Feb;19(1):2-8.

Peranteau WH, Moldenhauer JS, Khalek N, Martinez-Poyer JL, Howell LJ, Johnson MP, Flake AW, Adzick NS, Hedrick HL. Open fetal surgery for central bronchial atresia. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2014;35(2):141-7.

2013

Oliver ER, Colman BG, Goff DA, Horii SC, Howell LJ, Rychik J, Bebbington MW, Johnson MP. Twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence: a new method of parabiotic twin mass estimation correlated with pump twin compromise. J Ultrasound Med. 2013 Dec;32(12):2115-23.

Laje P, Howell LJ, Johnson MP, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Perinatal management of congenital oropharyngeal tumors: the ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) approach. J Pediatr Surg. 2013 Oct;48(10):2005-10.

2012

Danzer E, Gerdes M, Bebbington MW, Koh J, Adzick SN, Johnson MP. Fetal myelomeningocele surgery: preschool functional status using the Functional Independence Measure for children (WeeFIM). Childs Nerv Syst. 2011 Jul;27(7):1083-8. Epub 2011 Feb 16. Cited in PubMed; PMID:21327591.

Laje P, Johnson MP, Howell LJ, Bebbington MW, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, et al. Ex utero intrapartum treatment in the management of giant cervical teratomas. J Pediatr Surg. 2012 Jun;47(6):1208-16. Cited in Pub; PMID:22703795.

2011

Adzick NS, Thom EA, Spong CY, Brock III JW, Burrows PK, Johnson MP, Howell LJ, Farrell JA, Dabrowiak ME, Sutton LN, Gupta N, Tulipan NB, D'Alton ME, Farmer DL for the MOMS Investigators. A Randomized Trial of Prenatal versus Postnatal Repair of Myelomeningocele. NEJM. Online first. 9 Feb 2011.

2010

Danzer E, Finkel R, Gerdes M, Schwartz EM, Rintoul NN, Adzick NS, Johnson MP. The relationship of seizure activity and chronic epilepsy in early infancy and short-term neurodevelopmental outcome following fetal myelomeningocele closure. Neuropediatrics. 2010 Jun;41(3):140-3. Epub 2010 Sep 21.

Roybal JL, Liechty KW, Hedrick HL, Bebbington MW, Johnson MP, Coleman BG, Adzick NS, Flake AW. Predicting the severity of congenital high airway obstruction syndrome. J Pediatr Surg. 2010 Aug;45(8):1633-9.

Tran KM, Johnson MP, Almeida-Chen GM, Schwartz AJ. The Fetus as Patient. Anesthesiology. Epub 2010 Jul 6.

Danzer E, Gerdes M, Bebbington MW, Zarnow DM, Adzick NS, Johnson MP. Preschool neurodevelopmental outcome of children following fetal myelomeningocele closure. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010 May;202(5):450.e1-9. Epub 2010 Mar 29.

Wilson RD, Lemerand K, Johnson MP, Flake AW, Bebbington M, Hedrick HL, Adzick NS. Reproductive outcomes in subsequent pregnancies after a pregnancy complicated by open maternal-fetal surgery (1996-2007). Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010 May 27.

Servaes S, Hernandez A, Gonzalez L, Victoria T, Johnson M, Jaramillo D, Christopher Edgar J, Johnson A. Fetal MRI of clubfoot associated with myelomeningocele. Pediatr Radiol. Epub 2010 May 20.

Johnson MP; NAFTNet. The North American Fetal Therapy Network (NAFTNet): a new approach to collaborative research in fetal diagnosis and therapy. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2010 Feb;15(1):52-7. Epub 2009 Jun 24.