Dr. Donald Chi is an assistant professor of oral health sciences at the University of Washington School of Dentistry and has adjunct faculty appointments in the Schools of Public Health and Medicine. As a health services researcher and board-certified pediatric dentist, his research program focuses on understanding and improving oral health disparities in vulnerable populations. Dr. Chi is specifically interested in the behavioral and social determinants of oral health for children with special health care needs, the cost effectiveness of preventive dental care, and preventive care decision making by caregivers of children. His work has been published in the American Jouranl of Public Health, Medical Care, Health Services Research, Health & Place, the Journal of Dental Research, and the Journal of the American Dental Association.
Currently funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), Dr. Chi studies the behavioral determinants of and outcomes associated with dental care utilization for Medicaid-enrolled children with chronic health conditions. He has funding from the William T. Grant Foundation to examine the influence of neighborhood social capital on oral health outcomes for adolescents in Medicaid and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to investigate the factors related to a regular source of preventive dental care ("dental homes") for Medicaid-enrolled children with autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Chi maintains grants from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, International Association of Dental Research, Oregon Community Foundation, and SunStar Americas Corporation.