Dr Rebecca Johnson is the CW Whitney Chief Scientist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She is responsible for overall science leadership and administration of the museum’s science and research activities along with the largest natural history collection in the world estimated at over 148 million specimens and objects. Rebecca oversees seven scientific departments comprising over 300 staff, contractors and postdocs; the Informatics and Data Science Center; the Ocean Science Center; the Laboratory of Analytical Biology and Biorepository; the Collections Program; Research Associates and Emeritus scientists. She also acts as the high-level liaison to the several resident Federal Agencies (USDA, Commerce, Interior). The Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce Florida and at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize are also under her oversight, with staff based at multiple physical locations including Anchorage Alaska, Florida, Washington DC and Suitland Maryland.

Dr Johnson is a wildlife forensic scientist and conservation geneticist. As chief investigator of the Koala Genome Consortium she contributed to significantly advancing scientific knowledge and improved on the ground management recommendations for this iconic Australian species. She previously held the role of Australian Museum Chief Scientist and Director of the Australian Museum Research Institute where she established wildlife forensic science as a specialty discipline and worked with government agencies and law enforcement. She also developed translational research through applied conservation genomics developing strong direct links to the aviation industry. Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science with honours from the University of Sydney, and a PhD from La Trobe University in Melbourne Australia. She is a graduate of the INSEAD (Singapore) program and spent four months at Kyoto University in 2019 as a visiting Professor and held Adjunct Professor honorary titles at the University of Sydney and the University of NSW.

In 2020 Rebecca became a Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to wildlife forensic science and to young women scientists”. She has been recognised for her work as one of the 30 inaugural “SuperStars of STEM” by Science and Technology Australia (2017); received the University of Sydney Alumni Award for Professional Achievement (2016); was named one of Qantas 100 Inspiring Australians in 2020; The Australian Financial Review and Westpac “100 Women of Influence” (Innovation category) (2016); a “Vogue 2018 Game Changer” (Tech & Innovation category); named one of CEO Magazine’s ‘10 leading business women in Australia’ for 2018; awarded the 2018 Eureka Prize AMRI medal; and named one of Harper’s Bazaar Australia’s “Women of the Year” for 2018. In 2024 she was one of the inaugural recipients of the Australian Embassy DC Gala awards celebrating Australian excellence in sport and science, business and innovation.

Rebecca is most passionate about the importance of museum science and how it can improve our daily lives by “using the past to see the future” through enhanced understanding of our connection with nature, our ability to critically think and for asking the big questions such as “how did water and life occur on our planet?”.

Dr Rebecca Johnson is a Superstar of STEM.