Young named chair of Katz Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Professor Simon W. Young, DDS, MD, PhD, has been named the new chair of the Bernard and Gloria Pepper Katz Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry. Photo by Kyle Rogers.

Professor Simon W. Young, DDS, MD, PhD, has been named chair of the Bernard and Gloria Pepper Katz Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry, effective Aug. 1.

Young succeeds Professor Mark E. K. Wong, DDS, who has served as chair of the department since 2000.

A nationally recognized oral and maxillofacial surgeon-scientist, Young has served as acting chair since May 2025. He joined the School of Dentistry faculty in 2013 and has played a key role in advancing the department’s academic, research, and clinical missions.

Young earned his DDS from the University of Toronto before completing a PhD in bioengineering at Rice University, where his research focused on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. He later earned his MD from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston while completing his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry. He also completed advanced postdoctoral research training in immunoengineering at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

Internationally recognized for his research in bone regeneration, tissue engineering, immunotherapy, and craniofacial reconstruction, Young has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. His work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health and other competitive funding agencies and has contributed to advances in regenerative medicine and oral and maxillofacial surgery.

In addition to his research accomplishments, Young is a dedicated educator and mentor committed to advancing resident education and interdisciplinary collaboration. Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles in academic dentistry and professional organizations while maintaining an active clinical practice focused on maxillofacial trauma, reconstruction, and pathology.

Young succeeds Wong, who led the department for 26 years. During his tenure as chair and residency program director, Wong transformed the Katz Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery into one of the nation’s premier academic oral and maxillofacial surgery programs. Under his leadership, the department earned an international reputation for excellence in patient care, resident education, research, and innovation while strengthening relationships with alumni and the oral and maxillofacial surgery community through the Edward C. Hinds Academy and the annual Hinds Symposium.

Beyond his many professional accomplishments, Wong’s legacy includes the generations of residents, faculty members, and surgeons he trained and mentored throughout his career. His vision, leadership, and commitment to UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry have helped shape the department and the careers of many current faculty leaders.