College of Dentistry

- Programs & Admissions Overview
- - DDS and Dual Degree
    Learn about the application process for our dentistry and dual-degree programs.
  - Dental Hygiene
    Find information about applying for our bachelor's program in dental hygiene.
  - Advanced Standing Dentistry
    Find details on the process of applying for our Advanced Standing Dentistry Program.
  - Residency Programs
    Find admissions details for our six postgraduate programs.
- - Academic Programs
    Find an overview of our academic programs and links to more detail.
  - Learning Spaces & Technology
    Technology is fully integrated into student education, with repeated hands-on access to the tools of modern dentistry.
  - Wellness
    Wellness is an imiportant aspect of the student experience at the College of Dentistry.
  - Student Resources
    Find links to resources within our college and across the university.
- Research Overview
- - Biomaterials
    Biomaterials research is one of the fastest growing areas at the College of Dentistry and actively collaborates with a multidisciplinary group of partners across UNMC.
  - Bioregulation
    Our Bioregulation Research Group is working to understand and manipulate the immune system, inflammation and bone physiology to lead to more effective treatment of numerous conditions.
  - Oral Cancer
    Researchers in our college are focused on oral cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer, with a goal of significantly advancing our understandingor oral cancer progression and drug resistance.
  - Clinical Research
    The Cruzan Center for Dental Research was established to conduct well-designed clinical trials and clinical studies. It receives funding from the NIH, private foundations and industry.
- - Research Tools
    Students and faculty in our college have access to resources to aid cutting-edge research.
  - Student Research
    Every student in our college completes does research with guidance from our faculty, gaining insight into how they can help shape the future of oral health.
  - About Our Research
    Our research team is collaborating across UNMC to strengthen the college's research portfolio and expand opportunities for innovation in biomaterials, regenerative therapies and drug delivery.
Patient Care
- Engagement Overview
- Patient Care Engagement
  We are part of the dental safety net for Nebraska, with outreach that allows our students, faculty and staff to provide care for underserved populations across the state.
- Educational Engagement
  From providing children's dental health starter kits to our Special Olympics Special Smiles Program, we provide community education about dental health.
- Extramural Rotations
  Our fourth-year dental students rotate to established dental practices with established dentists who serve as preceptors and mentors.
- Biomonitoring
  Dental practices rely on this service through our college to document the effectiveness of sterilization equipment.
- Vet Smiles Clinic
  The VETSmile Dental Clinic at the UNMC College of Dentistry addresses the urgent need for accessible dental services within the veteran community.
- Continuing Education
  We provide engaging courses that education dental professionals on the latest techniques and advancements in the field.
Our Faculty
News

Keith R. Johnson, PhD

Professor, Department of Oral Biology, UNMC College of Dentistry

Send Email

Keith R. Johnson, PhD, is a professor for the Department of Oral Biology at the UNMC College of Dentistry. His background is in cell and molecular biology. His research focus has been cell adhesion mediated by the cadherin and connexin families of proteins. Another focus is mentoring students and faculty for research and professional success.

Education

PhD: University of Minnesota, 1983
Postdoc: University of Pennsylvania, 1983-984
Postdoc: Wistar Institute, 1985-1987

Top Publications

Huang, H., Svoboda, R.A., Lazenby, A.J., Saowapa, J., Chaika, N., Ding, K., Wheelock, M.J. and Johnson, K.R. Up-Regulation of N-cadherin by Collagen I-activated Discoidin Domain Receptor I in Pancreatic Cancer Requires the Adaptor Molecule Shc1. 2016. J. Biol. Chem. 291:23208-23223. PMID: 27605668. PMCID: PMC5087738.
Roberts, B.J., Svoboda, R.A., Overmiller, A.M. Lewis, J.D., Kowalczyk, A.P., Mahoney, M.G., Johnson, K.R. and Wahl III, J.K. Palmitoylation of Desmoglein 2 is a Regulator of Assembly Dynamics and Protein Turnover. 2016. J. Biol. Chem. 291:24857-24865. PMID: 27703000. PMCID: PMC5122758.
Rao, C., Frodyma, D.E., Southekal, S., Svoboda, R.A., Black, A.R., Guda, C., Mizutani, T., Clevers, H., Johnson, K.R., Fisher, K.W., Lewis, R.E. KSR1- and ERK-dependent translational regulation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. 2021. eLife.10:e66608. PMID: 33970103. PMCID: PMC8195604.
Jung, O., Baek, M.J., Wooldrik, C., Johnson K.R., Fisher, K.W., Lou, J., Ricks, T.J., Wen, T., Best, M.D., Cryns, V.L., Anderson, R.A., Choi, S. Nuclear phosphoinositide signaling promotes YAP/TAZ-TEAD transcriptional activity in breast cancer. 2024. EMBO J. 43:1740-1769. PMID: 38565949. PMCID: PMC11066040.
Jenkins, C.B., Camero, A.L., Graff, B.T., Madduri, L.S.V., O'Connell, K.A/, Hein, A.L., Smith, L.M., Enke, C.A., Dong, J., Hollingsworth, M.A., Johnson, K.R., Ouellette, M.M., Yan, Y. PR55α subunit of protein phosphatase 2A supports KRASG12D-driven tumorigenesis that requires YAP activation. 2025. Oncogene. 44:3070-3082. PMID: 40571777.