Daniel Seung Kim, PhD, MPH

Dr. Daniel Seung Kim is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and a preventive cardiologist in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Washington. A physician-scientist, Dr. Kim’s clinical practice centers on applying evidence-based, personalized treatments to prevent long-term cardiovascular disease.

He completed his undergraduate studies, a PhD in Genome Sciences, and an MPH in Biostatistics at the University of Washington before earning his MD from the University of Michigan. While in medical school, he graduated Alpha Omega Alpha and Cum Laude, receiving the Senior Scholarship from the Department of Medicine. Dr. Kim subsequently completed his clinical training in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease at Stanford University within the Translational Investigator Program, where he served as Lead Fellow from 2023 to 2025.

Dr. Kim’s research focuses on the intersection of technology and behavioral health. He leverages digital health tools and advances in artificial intelligence to promote healthy behaviors, such as physical activity, and to encourage sustainable, long-term lifestyle changes. He is particularly dedicated to utilizing these technologies to expand healthcare access for underserved populations, including the elderly, rural communities, and non-English speaking individuals. His work is funded by Career Development Awards from the American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and the Robert Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials.

Longevity and Healthy Aging Project:  AI-Driven Physical Activity Promotion for Spanish-Speaking Older Adults

This research addresses the critical need for culturally tailored health interventions for the aging Hispanic/Latinx population, a demographic facing disproportionate risks for cardiovascular disease and dementia. To promote healthy aging, the project integrates a Spanish-fluent large language model (LLM) to generate personalized physical activity coaching prompts. The study will perform community outreach to ensure that the coaching prompts are well received before launching a pilot/feasibility study to examine effects on objective physical activity assessed via wearable devices.

This work provides a scalable, low-cost proof-of-concept for using autonomous technology to improve physical activity as an avenue to promote healthy aging, and will serve as the basis for future R-level grants examining the use of digital health and artificial intelligence technologies to address differences in health-related outcomes and improve healthy aging in high-risk populations.