Dr. Hung Ton That

Biography

Hung Ton-That is a Professor and Chair of the Division of Oral Systemic Health Sciences at the UCLA School of Dentistry. He received his B.S. degree in Chemistry in 1996 and a Ph.D. in Microbiology in 2000, both from UCLA. His graduate work elucidated the mechanisms of sortase-catalyzed cell wall anchoring of surface proteins in Staphylococcus aureus. He completed postdoctoral studies at the University of Chicago, investigating pilus assembly mechanisms in Gram-positive bacteria. Subsequently, he held faculty positions at the University of Connecticut Health Center and the University of Texas McGovern Medical School, where he continued his research on Gram-positive pili and their roles in biofilm formation and bacterial pathogenesis. In July 2018, he joined the UCLA faculty, focusing on molecular assembly of cell surface proteins in Gram-positive pathogens, oxidative protein folding in monoderms, and virulence mechanisms in Gram-negative Fusobacterium nucleatum. His research employs multidisciplinary approaches to uncover molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity, particularly concerning the virulence determinants of F. nucleatum and the assembly of protein polymers in Gram-positive bacteria.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards