Po-Jung Chen, DDS, MDS, MDentSc, has joined the College of Dentistry as an assistant professor in the department of growth and development.
Previously, Dr. Chen was an assistant professor in the division of orthodontics, department of craniofacial sciences at the UConn School of Dental Medicine in Farmington, Conn. He received his DDS from Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan in 2006 and completed a three-year orthodontic residency at Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan in 2010 where he was trained in straight-wire and segmental mechanics. Simultaneously, he completed his Master of Dental Science at the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan in 2010.
After five years of practice in orthodontics, Dr. Chen moved to the United States to further his knowledge in orthodontics and to embark on his journey as a researcher. At the UConn School of Dental Medicine, he completed a clinical orthodontic fellowship in 2017 and received his Master of Dental Science and completed an orthodontics residency in 2021. Dr. Chen’s research focuses on biomechanics, orthodontic tooth movement and TMJ biology.
Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Chen became a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics in 2021. He received the 2022 American Association of Orthodontists Thomas M. Graber Award of Special Merit for "outstanding research that advances orthodontic care," is a finalist for the 2022 American Association for Dental, Oral & Craniofacial Research Joseph Lister Award for New Investigators for "original research in oral disease prevention or oral health promotion," and received the 2021 European Journal of Orthodontics (EJO) Beni Solow Award for "the best paper published in the EJO during the preceding year."
"I look forward to working with the students and faculty at UNMC and contributing to clinical care and the wide array of research being conducted. I am so excited to share my experiences in orthodontics and collaborate on research with the collegial team at UNMC," Dr. Chen said.
An Interview with Dr. Chen
Where did you grow up? Changhua, Taiwan.
How did you fall in love with dentistry? My interest in esthetics started in my youth when I was awarded several art prizes nationally and internationally. After participating in a dental camp held by a dental school in Taiwan during my senior year in high school, I decided to pursue formal study in dentistry. Dentistry combines my inherent talent for esthetics with my deep desire to help people.
Tell us about your family. I met my wife, Meng-Hsuan, when we were classmates in dental school. She is a general dentist. We have two kids. My daughter, Tess, is 11 years old and she likes art and being creative. My son, Bruce, is 9 years old and loves playing chess.
What are your favorite things to do on a day off? Skiing, biking, and exploring fun things and new restaurants with my family.
Three things people may not know about you:
- I love Hayao Miyazaki’s animation and music.
- I like to cook and I make pretty good Taiwanese dishes.
- I love to travel.