Johanna's interest in nutrition began as a teen pestering her mom with high blood pressure about healthy eating. It continued to grow after being diagnosed with familial hyperlipidemia and she saw a dietitian for the first time. This is when she realized that she could turn her interest in nutrition into a career.

She attended Tuskegee University and received a B.S. degree in Food and Nutritional Sciences. After graduating, she attended Auburn University and received a M.S degree in Nutrition and completed a dietetic internship. After graduating, she worked as a Clinical Dietitian in a hospital with a Cardiac ICU. However, she could not stay away from academia for long as she discovered a love for community nutrition. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Community Health Promotion from the University of Alabama at Birmingham while working as a Bariatric Dietitian.