Bobby Kyungbeom Cheon, Ph.D.

Dr. Cheon investigates the influence of social and psychological factors on human appetite, eating behaviors, and diet-related chronic diseases (e.g., obesity). His research also examines how disparities in obesity and cardiometabolic disorders emerge from the influence of socioeconomic adversity on food choices and eating behaviors. Using a combination of experimental studies, observational research, and population-level approaches, he investigates how social influences and socioeconomic vulnerabilities shape food-related behaviors and health outcomes. Through this work, he seeks to (1) identify psychological factors that promote obesogenic eating behaviors, (2) improve prediction of which children are at greater risk (or show resilience) to developing obesity and cardiometabolic disorders later in life, and (3) inform interventions aimed at reducing health disparities in these conditions.

Prior to joining NICHD, Dr. Cheon was an associate professor in the psychology department of Nanyang Technological University, in Singapore, and a principal investigator at the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences within the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR). Dr. Cheon received his bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from the University of Virginia and his Ph.D. in psychology from Northwestern University. He completed postdoctoral training at the Business School of Nanyang Technological University.