Benjamin Kwok, PhD, is an associate professor for the Department of Oral Biology at the UNMC College of Dentistry. He received his BSc degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry at Stony Brook University. He obtained his doctoral degree in Molecular Chemical Biology at Yale University. His graduate work characterized several key biologically active natural products.

Dr. Kwok went on to pursue his postdoctoral training to study mechanisms of cell division at Rockefeller University, where his research incorporated his expertise in chemical biology with other areas of science including protein biochemistry and high-resolution microscopy. In 2009, Dr. Kwok established his independent laboratory at the University of Montreal where his research focus centered on identify new chemical agents that block cell division and study their modes of actions. Since cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell division, chemical molecules that target dividing cells are potential chemotherapeutic agents.

In 2023, he moved his laboratory to the College of Dentistry at UNMC where he will continue his research program to better understand the molecular mechanisms of cell division and to develop new cancer therapeutics.