
Bobby Kyungbeom Cheon, Ph.D.
Stadtman Investigator
Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch
NICHD/DIPHR
Research Topics
Dr. Cheon's research investigates the health impacts of psychological experiences associated with disparities, such as discrimination, low perceived social status, and economic/resource insecurities. His work examines contributions of such psychosocial factors to eating behaviors, food preferences, and diet-related chronic diseases (e.g., obesity). His current initiatives seek to identify: 1) the mechanisms through which perceived socioeconomic disadvantage generates risk of excess energy intake among individuals and families; 2) the relative contribution of status-related threats (e.g., social rejection) to trajectories of obesity and metabolic disease; and 3) psychosocially based interventions that may buffer vulnerable individuals against harmful effects of perceived disadvantage and disparities.
Biography
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, focusing on inter-cultural and inter-group processes (e.g., cultural diversity, discrimination, and cooperation/competition).
Selected Publications
- Sim AY, Cheon BK. Thinking about the bigger picture: Influence of holistic processing on the dishware size effect. Food Qual Prefer. 2022;102.
- Sum KK, Cai S, Law E, Cheon B, Tan G, Loo E, Lee YS, Yap F, Chan JKY, Daniel M, Chong YS, Meaney M, Eriksson J, Huang J. COVID-19-Related Life Experiences, Outdoor Play, and Long-term Adiposity Changes Among Preschool- and School-Aged Children in Singapore 1 Year After Lockdown. JAMA Pediatr. 2022;176(3):280-289.
- Chong MF, Lim HX, Wong BWX, Chi ZH, Inthujaa JK, Müller-Riemenschneider F, Cheon BK, Gorny AW, Chia KS. Transiting Out of Full-Time National Service: A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Motivators of Weight Change in Young Adult Men in Singapore. Am J Mens Health. 2022;16(2):15579883221074788.
- Chen L, Zheng T, Yang Y, Chaudhary PP, Teh JPY, Cheon BK, Moses D, Schuster SC, Schlundt J, Li J, Conway PL. Integrative multiomics analysis reveals host-microbe-metabolite interplays associated with the aging process in Singaporeans. Gut Microbes. 2022;14(1):2070392.
Related Scientific Focus Areas
Social and Behavioral Sciences
View additional Principal Investigators in Social and Behavioral Sciences
This page was last updated on Friday, September 24, 2021