World-renowned UNMC pathologist, Sonny Johansson, M.D., Ph.D., dies at age 76

Sonny Johansson, M.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a world-renowned surgical and experimental pathologist, died Dec. 27 at his home in Sweden after a battle with Parkinson’s disease and pneumonia. He was 76 years old.
 
Dr. Johansson had an international reputation in surgical pathology with special expertise in diseases and tumors of the kidney, urinary bladder, testes and interstitial cystitis. He also had expertise in bone tumor pathology as well as soft tissue and head and neck cancer.
 
He joined UNMC in 1985 after he completed a six-week visiting research professorship the previous year. He retired in 2014 and moved to Alingsås, Sweden, in 2015 with his wife, Marianne.
 
Sam Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., Havlik/Wall Professor of Oncology and Pathology/Microbiology, was one of the faculty members who recruited Dr. Johansson, who became director of anatomic pathology.
 
"Sonny was an outstanding pathologist, cancer researcher and teacher, exactly the type of expert we wanted to help us continue to build a strong department and medical center," said Dr. Cohen, a colleague of Dr. Johansson since 1972.
 
"His enthusiasm for his work and the teaching of others was contagious and enjoyed by all with whom he interacted. He was the classic academic home run hitter – he did research, education and patient care, and did them all exceptionally well. His vivid stories were frequently spiced with his characteristic ‘Swenglish’ accent," he said.
 
Dr. Johansson’s clinical and basic research were instrumental in identifying a cancer-causing ingredient in pain medication, phenacetin, in the 1980s. The discovery led to its worldwide ban.
 
In 1992, he was given a joint appointment with the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Omaha. He was recognized in Best Doctors in America. His UNMC colleagues elected him to the medical honors society, Alpha Omega Alpha, in 2000, and he was named the initial Emelia F. & Austin L. Vickery, Jr., M.D., Professor of Pathology in 2005 (named after a former UNMC graduate who attained fame as a pathologist at Harvard University).
 
Dr. Johansson received many accolades for his surgical pathology expertise as well as his achievements in research. Resident physicians in three different programs – pathology, ENT and urology – enjoyed his instruction so much they presented him with teaching awards.
 
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his four children – Patrik, Christian, Nicholas, Andrea, and their families. Patrik Johansson, M.D., is associate professor of health promotion in the UNMC College of Public Health.
 
"While I admire his accomplishments as a clinician and a scientist, it his love for family, passion for social justice, and willingness to stand in his truth and break with tradition, of which I am the most proud," Dr. Patrik Johansson said.
 
"In 1967, he took his first trip to the United States to marry my African American-Native American mother in a segregated south in the presence of her family, friends and the FBI. The Supreme Court had just overturned the ban on interracial marriage, and my parents were the second legal interracial marriage in the state of North Carolina. Their wedding was subjected to threats from the KKK warranting the presence of the FBI."
 
A memorial service will be held at Hjälmareds folkhögskola, Alingsas, Sweden, on Jan. 24.
Memorials are suggested to the World Wildlife Fund, or to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
 
About Dr. Johansson
 
Sonny Johansson, M.D., Ph.D., was born Oct. 27, 1942, in Sweden and was the first member of his family to graduate from high school. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden.
 
After initial training in urologic surgery, Dr. Johansson pursued a career in pathology. His residency training was at Sahlgrens Hospital in Göteborg and at St. Vincent Hospital, Worcester, Mass., where he completed his training in 1976.
 
He became a faculty member at Sahlgrens Hospital where he established his reputation in urologic pathology, becoming the pathology expert for the Swedish-Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group, a part of the European consortium for evaluation of the then newly developed therapy for testicular germ cell cancers.
 
What others are saying
 
"Sonny was an extraordinary pathologist, with a keen eye and strong analytical skills with the microscope. Sonny was a terrific teacher and I always learned from him at every opportunity I had to sit with him."
Rodney Markin, M.D., Ph.D., chief operating officer of the University of Nebraska and UNMC vice chancellor for business development
 
"He was a consummate pathologist, a timeless mentor and a real friend. To establish a head and neck surgical oncology practice in the early 1990s required a team of like-minded experts. There is an adage amongst surgeons that you live and die by your pathologist. We hit a home run when Sonny joined us. He played a huge role in our success and added humor and friendship in the bargain."
Drs. Dan and Bill Lydiatt, former ENT surgeons at UNMC now at Nebraska Methodist Hospital
 
"We were indeed privileged and honored to have had Dr. Johansson as an esteemed faculty member and friend."
Sam Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., Havlik/Wall Professor of Oncology and Pathology/Microbiology
 
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