Kyounga Cheon

Kyounga Cheon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. She holds multiple scientific appointments across various research centers at UAB, including the Global Center for Craniofacial, Oral and Dental Disorders (GC-CODED), the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), and the Comprehensive Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, Bone and Autoimmunity Center (CAMBAC). She serves as Director of the Pediatric Dentistry department and previously held positions as Interim Program Director from 2018-2023.

Dr. Cheon earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine from Kyung Hee University in South Korea in 1996. She completed her residency in Pediatric Dentistry at UAB from 2007-2010, followed by a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Oral Microbiology at UAB from 2010-2013. Her educational background is complemented by fluency in English, Korean, Japanese, and Spanish.

Dr. Cheon's research focuses on pediatric dentistry with emphasis on dental pulp regeneration, biomimetic materials for dental applications, and the microbiology of dental caries. She investigates innovative approaches to preserve dental pulp vitality in children through advanced pulp capping materials and regenerative endodontic procedures. Her work on nitric oxide-releasing biomimetic nanomatrix gels shows promise for improving pulp-dentin regeneration. She also studies the transmission of Streptococcus mutans between mothers and children and its association with early childhood caries, with findings suggesting children sharing genotypes with mothers had 2.61 times higher estimated dmfs at 36 months.

Dr. Cheon's publication record demonstrates a clear evolution from fundamental microbiological studies toward translational applications of novel biomaterials. Her recent work focuses on bioactive materials for dental pulp preservation, particularly calcium silicate cements and biomimetic nanomatrix gels. She has published extensively on pulp-dentin regeneration, dental caries microbiology, and behavioral approaches to managing pediatric dental anxiety, with particular attention to audio-visual distraction techniques for modifying children's behavior during dental treatment.

• AADR Anne D. Haffajee Fellowship (2018)
• Finalist for 2011 NuSmile Graduate Student Research Award Competition
• NIH/NIDCR Loan Repayment Program
• Rahemtulla Endowed Scholarship (2010)
• 2015 BMES Graduate Design and Research Awards
• 2015 Faculty Fellow in Engaged Scholarship

Dr. Cheon serves as a mentor and committee chair for graduate students including Shreya Manohar Hiwalkar and Dajah S Nash. She has secured multiple research grants, most notably the 'Nitric Oxide Releasing Biomimetic Nanomatrix Gel for Root Revitalization' grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research/NIH. Her other funded projects include the 'Development of a Novel Bioactive Material for Dental Pulp Treatment' and 'Multifunctional Nanomatrix for Percutaneous Osteointegrated Prostheses' from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

Dr. Cheon collaborates with multiple interdisciplinary research teams across UAB, including the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and the Comprehensive Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, Bone and Autoimmunity Center. Her laboratory work focuses on developing and testing biomimetic nanomatrix gels for pulp-dentin regeneration, with particular emphasis on nitric oxide delivery systems. She also maintains active research in oral microbiology, particularly studying Streptococcus mutans transmission patterns and their clinical implications for early childhood caries prevention.