The University of Michigan community joins colleagues, students, and international partners in mourning the passing of Timothy R.B. Johnson, a visionary physician, educator and global health leader whose career advanced maternal health, medical education and health equity around the world.
A proud U-M alumnus, Johnson earned his undergraduate degree in the 1960s before completing his medical training at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Virginia.
He returned to U-M in 1993 to lead the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as the Bates Professor of Diseases of Women and Children. Over his 24-year tenure as chair, he helped elevate the department to national prominence — tripling faculty and research output and achieving a top-three national ranking.
He also held appointments as an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, professor of women’s studies, and research professor at the Center for Human Growth and Development, reflecting his deep commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and global collaboration.
Johnson’s impact extended far beyond Ann Arbor. In the mid-1980s, he began what would become a lifelong partnership with medical and academic leaders in Ghana, where a shortage of trained obstetricians was contributing to high rates of maternal and newborn mortality. At the time, aspiring Ob-Gyns were required to train abroad, and few returned — a situation Johnson recognized as a symptom of global inequity.
In response, he helped design and launch Ghana’s first in-country Ob-Gyn residency program, creating a pipeline of trained specialists who now serve in hospitals, medical schools and health ministries across the country. Today, this model of ethical, locally anchored capacity building is regarded as a gold standard for sustainable global health partnerships.
Johnson’s work in Ghana inspired a generation of physicians and global health practitioners. His book, “More than ‘First, Do No Harm,’” reflects on this experience and offers a practical guide for how academic institutions and healthcare providers can engage responsibly in low-resource settings. His legacy has shaped global health training at U-M and continues to influence health system strengthening efforts across sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
At U-M, Johnson worked across departments, schools and centers to advance global women’s health and medical education. He was also a valued member of the Center for Global Health Equity, where he served as an adviser and champion for equitable, partnership-based global engagement.
Dr. Johnson’s influence will be felt for generations to come — in Ghana, at Michigan, and anywhere people are working to build a more just and equitable world.
Gifts can be made online at giving.umich.edu/give/796426, or by check made payable to the University of Michigan, with “In memory of Tim Johnson” in the memo line, and mailed to: University of Michigan, 777 E. Eisenhower Pkwy., Suite 650, Ann Arbor, MI 48108.
Read a full remembrance on the Center for Global Health Equity website.
— Submitted by the Center for Global Health Equity
Helen Aminoff
I am very saddened & shocked to learn this news. Dr.Johnson treated Mom and me for years. We became good friends. What a beautiful human being–a real”mensch”. Heartfelt sympathy to his family. Wishing you all long life.
Helen Aminoff