Dayoon Kwon
PhD in Epidemiology at UCLA
I am an environmental epidemiologist studying how the environment influences disease development using multi-omics data.
My dissertation is on air pollution and Parkinson's disease, exploring gene-environment interactions and metabolomic profiles.
I also investigated the relationship between the gut microbiome, diet, and Parkinson. Before joining UCLA, I worked at Columbia University, quantifying biological aging using DNA methylation and blood-chemistry data.
Selected Publications
Interaction Between Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Parkinson Disease Polygenic Risk Score
Kwon D, Paul KC, Kusters C, Wu J, Bronstein JM, Lill CM, Ketzel M, Raaschou-Nielsen O, Hansen J, Ritz B.
JAMA Network Open, Mar 2025
Traffic-related air pollution and Parkinson's disease in central California
Kwon D, Zhang K, Paul KC, Folle AD, Del Rosario I, Jacobs JP, Keener AM, Bronstein JM, Ritz B.
Environmental Research, Jan 2024
A toolkit for quantification of biological age from blood chemistry and organ function test data: BioAge
Kwon D, Belsky DW.
GeroScience, Nov 2021
News
[Mar 2025] Passed my PhD defense on air pollution and Parkinson's disease!
[Nov 2024] Interviewed by NBC Bay Area about my research on air pollution and increased Parkinson's risk in central California.
[Oct 2024] Featured on Inside Precision Medicine for my work on diet and the gut microbiome in Parkinson's patients.
[Jun 2024] Received an honorable mention for the GeroScience Outstanding Publication Award.