Hyun Koo

Hyun (Michel) Koo is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, with affiliations in the Department of Orthodontics, Division of Community Oral Health, and Division of Pediatric Dentistry. As Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD), he leads interdisciplinary efforts merging bioengineering, nanotechnology, and oral health research.

• Education: DDS and PhD
• Research Focus: Biofilms, bacterial-fungal interactions, and nanotechnology for oral disease prevention
• Leadership: Co-Director of CiPD; key roles in training programs like NIDCR-sponsored R90 and T90/R90

Dr. Koo’s research explores biofilm mechanisms in oral infectious diseases, particularly childhood caries, through engineering methods and microrobotics. His team developed micron-scale robots for automated biofilm eradication and FDA-approved nanoparticles for caries prevention. Collaborations with Penn Engineering, including Dr. Daeyeon Lee and Dr. Kacy Cullen, emphasize translational approaches.

The 15 most recent publications highlight his work in nanorobotics, interkingdom biofilms, and precision diagnostics. Articles span 2025–2024 and address topics like adaptive micromotors, biofilm matrix degradation, and single-cell microbial interactions. These emphasize his focus on targeted therapies and biofilm microenvironment engineering.

Key Awards:

• Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• IADR Distinguished Scientist Award for innovative dental research

Dr. Koo trains next-generation researchers through the CiPD NIDCR T90/R90 Postdoctoral Training Program, mentoring fellows like Smruti Nair (ACE2 Chewing Gum development) and Zhi Ren (K99 awardee). His work intersects with Penn Health-Tech, CT3N, and Penn Institute for Biomedical Informatics, fostering transdisciplinary innovation.