Tamar Ringel-Kulka

Tamar Ringel-Kulka, MD, MPH is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. She serves as Director of the North Carolina Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center, collaborating with state agencies to improve child care environments. A pediatrician with 20+ years of research and teaching, she holds an MD from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (1991) and an MPH from UNC Gillings (2000 cum laude).

Her research focuses on early childhood health promotion, including microbiome studies, oral health, and reducing health disparities. Notable projects include investigating oral microbiota’s role in lung function and the impact of environmental phenols on child health. She has secured $1.5M in grants (2022) from NIH, state agencies, and industry.

Ringel-Kulka leads editorial roles in PLOS ONE and EC Paedeiatrics, and chairs committees like the North Carolina Perinatal Oral Health Improvement Plan. Her work emphasizes translational research, bridging clinical practice and public health policy.