Appointments, Faculty and Staff, Orthodontics

Ko Appointed Chair of Orthodontics

Ching-Chang Ko, DDS, MS, PhD, recently began his appointment as the new chair of the Department of Orthodontics.  

“I am grateful for the efforts of the school and University, both of which made this opportunity possible for me,” said Ko, G. Fred Hale Distinguished Professor. “As the chairperson, I plan to build on the rich tradition of excellence of the UNC Department of Orthodontics and our Orthodontics Alumni Association, and to innovate our clinical, research and educational programs.”  

Ko, who has served as the director of the Orthodontics Graduate Program, will see his leadership responsibilities expand in this new role. As chair, Ko will oversee the faculty and graduate clinics, community service ventures such as the UNC/Wake County Health Department (WCHD) Orthodontic Program, and research including his own lab, which focuses on bone regeneration using biomimetic materials and development of new bracket systems via 3D printing and biomechanical approaches.  

“I am thrilled that Dr. Ko agreed to chair our Department of Orthodontics,” said Dean Scott S. De Rossi, DMD, MBA. “He is a brilliant entrepreneur and a phenomenal asset to our school and our orthodontics program. I am confident that Dr. Ko will be a great leader for the department, and I am excited for the future of orthodontics here at UNC.” 

Ko earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Kaohsiung Medical University in 1984, his Master of Science in bioengineering from National Yang-Ming University in 1989, and his PhD in bioengineering and biomaterials from University of Michigan in 1994. He earned a certificate in orthodontics from the University of Minnesota in 2006. Ko has published approximately 120 peer-reviewed articles and his research has been funded by Whitaker Foundation, 3M ESPE, N2Bio, NC Biotech Center, American Association of Orthodontics Foundation, American Association of Endodontics Foundation and NIH/NIDCR. 

Lorne Koroluk, DMD, MSD, MS, the department’s previous chair, stepped aside earlier this year. Koroluk remains on the school’s faculty as a dual appointee in both orthodontics and pediatric dentistry.