Sonny Johansson, M.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus at UNMC 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.
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.
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.
I started working for Sonny in 1989 at Eppley Institute when I began my career at UNMC. He was a wonderful person and I learned a great deal from him. My condolences to his family. May you have strength at this difficult time and peace from your memories of him. Rest Peacefully Sonny! Traci Clemons
So sorry to hear this sad news. Rest in Peace Dr. Sonny Johansson. Cherish your pathology teachings as a junior faculty colleague at UNMC.
—ABHIJIT BANERJEE, PhD from India.
This is a huge loss to the laboratory world. He will be dearly missed.
A great person, scientist and colleague. Proud to be one of his collaborators.
Very sad to here this. He was a great educator and colleague during my time at UNMC. He was an incredible man that will be missed.
I value my years of being a fellow faculty member in the UNMC Pathology Department. I admired him and considered him a wonderful friend. My husband, Gerry Christensen, also had great respect for Sonny. My husband is very ill and can not send his own comments.