After completing his doctoral studies, Cheon conducted postdoctoral research at the
UC Berkeley, and worked as a research associate at the
UCLA. He later returned to South Korea, where he joined the
KAIST, serving as an assistant and then associate professor. In 2002, he joined Yonsei University as a faculty member and later became the H. G. Underwood Professor of Chemistry. From 2010 to 2016, he served as the director of the National Creative Research Initiative Center for Evolutionary Nanoparticles. In 2015, he became the founding director of the
IBS Center for Nanomedicine at Yonsei University. In 2025, he co-founded Asia’s second Max Planck Center, the Max Planck–Yonsei IBS Center for Nanomedicine Deep Tissue Control, serving as co-director alongside Professor Joachim Spatz of the
Max Planck Institute for Medical Research. Cheon’s research has contributed to the development of nanomaterial-based biomedical technologies, including highly sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents and nanoscale toolkits for cellular manipulation. In 2004, he experimentally demonstrated size-dependent MRI contrast effects using nanoparticles, which led to the development of magnetism-engineered iron oxide nanoparticles as ultra-sensitive MRI contrast agents with potential applications in early cancer detection. He has also developed magnetic nanomachines composed of mechanically functional components at the submicrometer scale, enabling remote and precise control of nanostructures using external magnetic fields. These systems have been explored for applications such as targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive therapeutic approaches. Since 2021, Cheon’s work has significantly advanced the field of
magnetogenetics, particularly for wireless control of deep tissue and brain activity in vivo. Magnetogenetics employs magnetic nanoparticles to generate mechanical forces or torque that activate mechanosensitive ion channels, such as
Piezo1, enabling non-invasive and long-distance modulation of neuronal circuits. This approach offers new tools for studying brain function and has potential implications for the treatment of neurological disorders. ==Awards and honors==