Dr. LaRee Johnson was born in Huntington Beach, California. She made her way eastward completing her accelerated undergraduate studies in Biology in two years at Arkansas Tech University (with scholarships in academics, ROTC, leadership and music) receiving her Doctorate of Dental Surgery with honors from the University of Tennessee. She graduated from UNC School of Dentistry for her post-doctoral Masters in Science and her three year residency in pediatric dentistry. Dr. Johnson and her husband, James Gerdts, are competitive endurance athletes.