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John F. Bohnsack

John F. Bohnsack, MD

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

  • John Bohnsack MD is Professor and Interim Chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology. He also serves as the Vice Chair of the Department of Pediatrics for the Clinical Enterprise. Dr. Bohnsack graduated from Yale College, and received his medical degree from the University of Virginia. He trained in Pediatrics at the University of Washington, and then did successive fellowships at the University of Washington, the intramural program of the NIH and at Scripps Research Institute. He joined the faculty of the University of Utah in 1988.




    Dr. Bohnsack has received NIH funding for his research on neutrophil adhesion molecules, and the pathophysiology of infections caused by Group B streptococci (GBS). His most recent work on GBS helped identify the population structure of GBS using multi-locus sequence typing, and the specific populations that colonize and infected infants in a prospectively collected sample of GBS from women and infants born in six US academic centers. This work was performed in collaboration with Dr. Kimi Lin, an intramural investigator at the National Institute of Child Health and Development, who led the effort that collected the samples and clinical information from this cohort. Dr. Bohnsack’s interest in the population structure of GBS was spurred by his association with Dr. Shinji Takahashi, a Professor at Shinji-Eiyo University in Saitama, Japan, during Dr. Takahashi’s year in Dr. Bohnsack’s lab as a visiting investigator. Dr. Takahashi had earlier identified clones of GBS using analysis of restriction digest profiles. He and Dr. Takashi continue a long-distance collaboration on the role of l-ficollin in the opsonization of GBS.


    Most recently, Dr. Bohnsack’s research has shifted towards identifying the genetic basis of childhood rheumatic diseases. He started the Intermountain States Database for Childhood Rheumatic Diseases in 2000, and then worked as a mentor and colleague with Dr. Sampath Prahalad who further developed the Database by collecting DNA and serum samples from over 500 affected children with well-characterized JIA. Dr. Bohnsack was a mentor for Dr. Prahalad’s KO-8 funded research at the University of Utah which identified polymorphisms in selected genes with JIA. The Database continues to expand, and now includes over 700 samples from affected patients and a larger number of samples from parents. His collaboration continues with Dr. Prahalad, who joined the faculty at Emory University in 2008. Samples from the Database have been used in collaborative multi-institutional Genome Wide Association Studies at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and at the intramural program at the NIH.


    Dr. Bohnsack’s clinical interests include the evaluation and treatment of rheumatic disorders, autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases (including recurrent fever syndromes) and primary immune deficiency disorders of childhood and adolescence. His administrative role in the Department includes oversight of the revenue cycle, Pediatric contracting, implementation of clinical information systems, and redesign of the ambulatory clinics to improve patient and physician satisfaction. He has been the Executive Medical Officer of the University of Utah Medical Group since 2012.



    Board Certification

    American Board of Pediatrics (Pediatrics)
  • John Bohnsack MD is Professor and Interim Chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology. He also serves as the Vice Chair of the Department of Pediatrics for the Clinical Enterprise. Dr. Bohnsack graduated from Yale College, and received his medical degree from the University of Virginia. He trained in Pediatrics at the University of Washington, and then did successive fellowships at the University of Washington, the intramural program of the NIH and at Scripps Research Institute. He joined the faculty of the University of Utah in 1988.




    Dr. Bohnsack has received NIH funding for his research on neutrophil adhesion molecules, and the pathophysiology of infections caused by Group B streptococci (GBS). His most recent work on GBS helped identify the population structure of GBS using multi-locus sequence typing, and the specific populations that colonize and infected infants in a prospectively collected sample of GBS from women and infants born in six US academic centers. This work was performed in collaboration with Dr. Kimi Lin, an intramural investigator at the National Institute of Child Health and Development, who led the effort that collected the samples and clinical information from this cohort. Dr. Bohnsack’s interest in the population structure of GBS was spurred by his association with Dr. Shinji Takahashi, a Professor at Shinji-Eiyo University in Saitama, Japan, during Dr. Takahashi’s year in Dr. Bohnsack’s lab as a visiting investigator. Dr. Takahashi had earlier identified clones of GBS using analysis of restriction digest profiles. He and Dr. Takashi continue a long-distance collaboration on the role of l-ficollin in the opsonization of GBS.


    Most recently, Dr. Bohnsack’s research has shifted towards identifying the genetic basis of childhood rheumatic diseases. He started the Intermountain States Database for Childhood Rheumatic Diseases in 2000, and then worked as a mentor and colleague with Dr. Sampath Prahalad who further developed the Database by collecting DNA and serum samples from over 500 affected children with well-characterized JIA. Dr. Bohnsack was a mentor for Dr. Prahalad’s KO-8 funded research at the University of Utah which identified polymorphisms in selected genes with JIA. The Database continues to expand, and now includes over 700 samples from affected patients and a larger number of samples from parents. His collaboration continues with Dr. Prahalad, who joined the faculty at Emory University in 2008. Samples from the Database have been used in collaborative multi-institutional Genome Wide Association Studies at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and at the intramural program at the NIH.


    Dr. Bohnsack’s clinical interests include the evaluation and treatment of rheumatic disorders, autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases (including recurrent fever syndromes) and primary immune deficiency disorders of childhood and adolescence. His administrative role in the Department includes oversight of the revenue cycle, Pediatric contracting, implementation of clinical information systems, and redesign of the ambulatory clinics to improve patient and physician satisfaction. He has been the Executive Medical Officer of the University of Utah Medical Group since 2012.



    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Pediatrics -Primary
    Board Certification
    American Board of Pediatrics (Pediatrics)

    Education history

    Research Fellow Immunology - Scripps Clinic & Research Foundation Research Fellow
    Immunology - National Institutes of Health Fellow
    Fellowship Immunology - University of Washington Fellow
    Pediatrics - University of Washington Resident
    Internship Pediatrics - University of Washington Intern
    Medicine - University of Virginia M.D.
    Undergraduate Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry - Yale University B.A.

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Correia Marques M, Rubin D, Shuldiner EG, Datta M, Schmitz E, Gutierrez Cruz G, Patt A, Bennett E, Grom A, Foell D, Gattorno M, Bohnsack J, Yeung RSM, Prahalad S, Mellins E, Anton J, Len CA, Oliveira S, Woo P, Ozen S, INCHARGE Consortium, Deng Z, Ombrello MJ (2024). Enrichment of Rare Variants of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Genes in Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. (Read full article)
    2. Brunner HI, Akikusa JD, Al-Abadi E, Bohnsack JF, Boteanu AL, Chedeville G, Cuttica R, De La Pena W, Jung L, Kasapcopur O, Kobusinska K, Schulert GS, Neiva C, Rivas-Chacon R, Rizo Rodriguez JC, Vazquez-Del Mercado M, Wagner-Weiner L, Weiss JE, Wouters C, Posner H, Wouters A, Chang C, White C, Kanik K, Liu S, Martini A, Lovell DJ, Ruperto N (2024). Safety and efficacy of tofacitinib for the treatment of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: preliminary results of an open-label, long-term extension study. Ann Rheum Dis. (Read full article)
    3. Lovell DJ, Tzaribachev N, Henrickson M, Simonini G, Griffin TA, Alexeeva E, Bohnsack JF, Zeft A, Horneff G, Vehe RK, Stavia V, Tarvin S, Trachana M, Del Ro AQ, Huber AM, Kietz D, Orbn I, Dare J, Foeldvari I, Quartier P, Dominique A, Simon TA, Martini A, Brunner HI, Ruperto N (2024). Safety and effectiveness of abatacept in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: results from the PRINTO/PRCSG registry. Rheumatology (Oxford). (Read full article)
    4. Patel PK, Chinga ML, Yilmaz M, Joychan S, Ujhazi B, Ellison M, Gordon S, Nieves D, Csomos K, Eslin D, Afify ZA, Meznarich J, Bohnsack J, Walkovich K, Seidel MG, Sharapova S, Boyarchyk O, Latysheva E, Tuzankina I, Shaker AB, Ayala I, Sriaroon P, Westermann-Clark E, Walter JE (2024). Clinical and Treatment History of Patients with Partial DiGeorge Syndrome and Autoimmune Cytopenia at Multiple Centers. J Clin Immunol, 44(2), 42. (Read full article)
    5. Crofton EJ, OBuckley TK, Bohnsack JP, Morrow AL, Herman MA (2023). Divergent Population-Specific Effects of Chronic Ethanol Exposure on Excitability and Inhibitory Transmission in Male and Female Rat Central Amygdala. J Neurosci, 43(42), 7056-7068. (Read full article)
    6. Kohli AT, Hersh AO, Ponder L, Chan LHK, Rouster-Stevens KA, Tebo AE, Kugathasan S, Guthery SL, Bohnsack JF, Prahalad S (2023). Prevalence of tissue transglutaminase antibodies and IgA deficiency are not increased in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a case-control study. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J, 21(1), 110. (Read full article)
    7. Leiding JW, Vogel TP, Santarlas VGJ, Mhaskar R, Smith MR, Carisey A, Vargas-Hernndez A, Silva-Carmona M, Heeg M, Rensing-Ehl A, Neven B, Hadjadj J, Hambleton S, Ronan Leahy T, Meesilpavikai K, Cunningham-Rundles C, Dutmer CM, Sharapova SO, Taskinen M, Chua I, Hague R, Klemann C, Kostyuchenko L, Morio T, Thatayatikom A, Ozen A, Scherbina A, Bauer CS, Flanagan SE, Gambineri E, Giovannini-Chami L, Heimall J, Sullivan KE, Allenspach E, Romberg N, Deane SG, Prince BT, Rose MJ, Bohnsack J, Mousallem T, Jesudas R, Santos Vilela MMD, OSullivan M, Pachlopnik Schmid J, Prhov, Klocperk A, Rees M, Su H, Bahna S, Baris S, Bartnikas LM, Chang Berger A, Briggs TA, Brothers S, Bundy V, Chan AY, Chandrakasan S, Christiansen M, Cole T, Cook MC, Desai MM, Fischer U, Fulcher DA, Gallo S, Gauthier A, Gennery AR, Gonalo Marques J, Gottrand F, Grimbacher B, Grunebaum E, Haapaniemi E, Hmlinen S, Heiskanen K, Heiskanen-Kosma T, Hoffman HM, Gonzalez-Granado LI, Guerrerio AL, Kainulainen L, Kumar A, Lawrence MG, Levin C, Martelius T, Neth O, Olbrich P, Palma A, Patel NC, Pozos T, Preece K, Lugo Reyes SO, Russell MA, Schejter Y, Seroogy C, Sinclair J, Skevofilax E, Suan D, Suez D, Szabolcs P, Velasco H, Warnatz K, Walkovich K, Worth A, STAT3 GOF Working Group members, Seppnen MRJ, Torgerson TR, Sogkas G, Ehl S, Tangye SG, Cooper MA, Milner JD, Forbes Satter LR (2022). Monogenic early-onset lymphoproliferation and autoimmunity: Natural history of STAT3 gain-of-function syndrome. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 151(4), 1081-1095. (Read full article)
    8. Ringold S, Hendrickson A, Abramson L, Beukelman T, Blier PR, Bohnsack J, Chalom EC, Gewanter HL, Gottlieb B, Hollister R, Hsu J, Hudgins A, Ilowite NT, Klein-Gitelman M, Lindsley C, Lopez Benitez JM, Lovell DJ, Mason T, Milojevic D, Moorthy LN, Nanda K, Onel K, Prahalad S, Rabinovich CE, Ray L, Rouster-Stevens K, Ruth N, Shishov M, Spalding S, Syed R, Stoll M, Vehe RK, Weiss JE, White AJ, Wallace CA, Sobel RE (2014). Novel method to collect medication adverse events in juvenile arthritis: results from the childhood arthritis and rheumatology research alliance enhanced drug safety surveillance project. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken), 67(4), 529-37. (Read full article)

    Other

    1. Patel PK, Chinga ML, Yilmaz M, Joychan S, Ujhazi B, Ellison M, Gordon S, Nieves D, Csomos K, Eslin D, Afify ZA, Meznarich J, Bohnsack J, Walkovich K, Seidel MG, Sharapova S, Boyarchuk O, Latysheva E, Tuzankina I, Shaker AB, Ayala I, Sriaroon P, Westermann-Clark E, Walter JE (2024). Correction to: Clinical and Treatment History of Patients with Partial DiGeorge Syndrome and Autoimmune Cytopenia at Multiple Centers. J Clin Immunol (44(3), p. 72). Netherlands. (Read full article)