Kennita Johnson, Ph.D., serves as an Assistant Professor and the first Director of Community and Engagement in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. She earned her B.S. in Physics from the University of Maryland Baltimore County as a Meyerhoff Scholar, followed by an M.S. in Medical Physics and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Florida. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, she joined UNC to launch her independent research career focused on biomedical imaging applications.

Dr. Johnson's research centers on leveraging biomedical imaging to mitigate health disparities, particularly through the development of techniques for the early detection of chronic kidney disease, which disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities, and liver disease. Key publications include "Experimental verification of theoretical equations for acoustic radiation force on compressible spherical particles in traveling waves" (Physical Review E, 2016), "A pilot study to assess markers of renal damage in the rodent kidney after exposure to 7 MHz ultrasound pulse sequences designed to cause microbubble translation and disruption" (Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, 2012), and work on targeted ultrasound contrast agent binding. She has earned numerous honors, such as the 2021 Faculty Diversity Award, the 2020 Biomedical Engineering Department Teaching and Mentoring Award, the Dean's Performance Award, the 2024 BME Achievement Award, and recognition from Morehead-Cain seniors for excellence in teaching and mentoring. In her directorial role, she chairs the department's engagement committee, spearheads initiatives to unite undergraduates, graduates, postdocs, faculty, and staff across the joint programs linking NC State's College of Engineering with UNC's School of Medicine and College of Arts and Sciences, and mentors students in research projects while advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Additionally, she holds the position of Participant Experience Chair for the IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium 2026.

Professional Email: kennita@email.unc.edu