Meet the Students: Katherine Kwon

Katherine Kwon

Undergrad 

University of California, Berkeley, Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, Dietetics, 2003

Grad Group

Graduate Group in Nutritional Biology
Projected Graduation Year: 2026

Research Focus Area

My research focuses on maternal and child health, lactation and child development.

Background 

My path to the Institute for Global Nutrition has been anything but linear. After earning a bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences and dietetics at UC Berkeley, I completed a master’s degree in nutrition communication at Tufts University and became a registered dietitian nutritionist. I then spent a decade working in clinical nutrition, corporate communications and healthcare management. After becoming a parent, I developed a strong interest in human milk and became an international board-certified lactation consultant. I am now a doctoral student at UC Davis, where my research examines early-life nutrition and child development. 

Experience at UC Davis 

Overall, my experience at UC Davis has been positive, due to the support provided by the Institute for Global Nutrition. Through IGN seminars and lab, we learn from world-renowned experts, receive constructive research feedback, and build community. These meetings felt daunting at first but became invaluable as I progressed through the Ph.D. program. Another highlight has been working with the Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) Task Force, which brings together members from international agencies, non-profit organizations and academic institutions to support global SQ-LNS scale-up. Through this work, I’ve contributed to collaborative efforts translating research into policy to address child undernutrition.

Advice for future students

Several tips I would offer future students include:

• Lean on upper-year students who have been in your shoes. Their practical guidance is helpful in navigating the ups and downs of the Ph.D. program.
• Think intentionally about what you want to gain beyond the degree itself. Start building your professional network early on and take advantage of opportunities to develop transferable skills for your future career.
• Have a plan but remain flexible. Setbacks are common, and staying adaptable can make the journey more manageable. 

How do you see your research impacting the field of global nutrition and/or people around the world? 

After experiencing firsthand the critical role nutrition plays during the first 1,000 days of life, I shifted my career toward supporting pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and young children. My clinical training as a registered dietitian and lactation consultant shapes my research, with a focus on questions relevant to families in real-world, particularly low-resource, settings. My work bridges nutrition, lactation, and child development and I hope my research helps strengthen evidence-based strategies to improve early-life nutrition for vulnerable populations, so that children around the world can thrive and achieve their full potential.

When you aren’t working or studying, what do you do for fun? 

When I’m not working or studying, I spend most of my time with my family. I have three children in elementary and junior high school who are active in sports, music and other activities. We enjoy being outdoors and try to go hiking and camping whenever we can. Over the years, I came to realize that spending time outdoors is an important way for me to recharge and stay grounded. I have also learned that if I need alone time, I work in our garden because my family never seems interested in helping me weed.