“We know that wound healing is impaired in diabetic patients. The goal is to explore a potential therapeutic for improved diabetic healing by targeting stem cells in the bone and oral cavity.” — DR. KANG KO (D’15, GD’20, DSCD’20)
FORGING A PATH FROM DENTAL STUDENT TO ACADEMIC DENTISTRY ALUMNUS DR. KANG KO (D’15, GD’20, DSCD’20) LAUNCHES ACADEMIC CAREER AS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PERIODONTICS OPPOSITE: Alumnus Dr. Kang Ko (D’15, GD’20, DScD’20) is now Assistant Professor in the Department of Periodontics. He is among a cohort of young faculty who moved into academic dentistry at the School as graduates of its DScD program.
DR. KANG KO (D’15, GD’20, DSCD’20) WAS LEAD AUTHOR OF A PUBLISHED RESEARCH PAPER as a Penn Dental Medicine predoctoral student and was awarded his first research grant while working on his specialty certificate in periodontics and his Doctor of Science in Dentistry (DScD) degree here as well. This past May, the young, accomplished academic joined the Penn Dental Medicine faculty as an Assistant Professor of Periodontics, working alongside those who taught him not too long ago. It’s been a gratifying achievement for Dr. Ko, who came to Penn knowing he wanted to pursue a career in academic dentistry, which affords him a rewarding balance of patient care, teaching, and research, which currently includes two federally funded grants. Dr. Ko is among a cohort of young faculty members at Penn Dental Medicine who moved into academic dentistry at the School as graduates of its DScD program, including Dr. Helen Jeon (GD’14, DScD’16) and Dr. Hellen Teixeira (GD’19, DScD’19) in the Department of Orthodontics; Dr. Temitope Omolehinwa (GD’14, DScD’17, D’20) in Oral
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Medicine; Dr. Sumin Lee (GD'13, DScD'15, D'20) in Endodontics, and Dr. Yuan Liu (DScD’19, D’23) in Preventive & Restorative Sciences. Dr. Ko’s faculty appointment is particularly noteworthy for Dr. Dana Graves, Director of the DScD Program and Vice Dean of Research & Scholarship, who has been a mentor throughout Dr. Ko’s training at Penn Dental Medicine. “One of the most rewarding aspects of being in an academic environment is participating in the development of a student,” says Dr. Graves, who is also Professor in the
