Postdoctoral Research Associate - Environmental Health/Global Health
Duke University - 2008
Dohyeong Kim
Senior Associate Dean of Graduate Education
Robert E. Holmes Jr. Professor of Public Policy, GIS & Social Data Analytics
Team Lead, Spatial Health AI Research Partnership
Professional Preparation
Ph.D - City and Regional Planning (Health Planning)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - 2007
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - 2007
M.A - Public Administration
Yonsei University, Seoul - 1999
Yonsei University, Seoul - 1999
B.A - Public Administration
Yonsei University, Seoul - 1996
Yonsei University, Seoul - 1996
Research Areas
Global Health and Safety
Geospatial Health and Public Policy
Environmental Health and Disaster Planning
Spatiotemporal Big Data Analysis and Machine Learning
Publications
Bayesian spatio-temporal modeling for policy evaluation: Sensitivity of policy effect estimates in the context of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders 2026 - Journal Article
Geospatial analysis of community-level social and environmental barriers for adult burn injury survivors in North Texas 2025 - Journal Article
Geospatial Analysis of Community-Level Social and Environmental Barriers for Adult Burn Injury Survivors in North Texas 2025 - Journal Article
Revisiting the joint effect of temperature and relative humidity on airborne mold and bacteria concentration in indoor environment: A machine learning approach 2025 - Journal Article
Area‐Specific Assessment of Stratum Corneum Hydration and Transepidermal Water Loss in Pediatric Patients With Atopic Dermatitis 2025 - Journal Article
Artificial Intelligence during a Public Health Crisis: A Trend Analysis of COVID-19 Research 2025 - Journal Article
mHealth Intervention Integrating Personal PM2.5 Monitoring and Deep Learning to Reduce Pediatric Asthma Exacerbations: Pilot Study (Preprint) 2025 - Other
Awards
Award of Appreciation - Asia Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) [2024]
President's Teaching Excellence Award - UT Dallas [2023]
Best Article Award - Asian Association of Crisisonomy [2022]
Teaching Award for Distinguished Graduate Teaching - UT Dallas School of EPPS [2020]
Award of Appreciation - UTD Korean Student Association [2018]
Outstanding Teaching Comet Award - University of Texas at Dallas [2014]
Award of Appreciation - NCCU MPA Class of 2013 [2013]
Research Fellow - Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development [2011]
New Investigators in Global Health (NIGH) Award - Global Health Council [2008]
Superior Graduate Student Award - SBS Seo-Am Academic Foundation [1998]
Appointments
Assistant to Associate Professor
North Carolina Central University [2008–2013]
North Carolina Central University [2008–2013]
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Duke University [2005–2008]
Duke University [2005–2008]
Research and Teaching Assistant
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill [2000–2005]
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill [2000–2005]
Projects
Geospatial Community Mapping to Assess Social and Environmental Barriers and Facilitators for Burn Survivors (funded by National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research)
This project combines GIS-based spatial mapping of burn survivors’ community integration outcomes with qualitative approaches such as focus groups and interviews to identify and understand social and environmental barriers and facilitators, thereby guiding targeted interventions, resource allocation, and policy for improved long-term recovery and participation.Geospatial Analysis on the Impact on nurse and midwife training in maternal and child oral health in Kilifi County (funded by KOICA)
This project conducts a GIS-based analysis in Kilifi County, Kenya to evaluate how training nurses, midwives, and other primary healthcare providers in maternal and child oral health could improve service accessibility and reduce disparities. By mapping health facilities, population distribution, and travel networks, and comparing service areas before and after workforce capacity building, the study aims to generate evidence for strengthening oral health integration into Kenya’s primary healthcare system.Wearable device-based Development of Receptor-centered Exposure-health Assessment Methodology and Platform (funded by Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute)
This project develops a wearable device–based environmental health monitoring platform that integrates real-time biosignals (e.g., lung sounds, skin moisture, oxygen saturation) with indoor and outdoor environmental exposure data to predict and prevent environment-related diseases such as asthma, COPD, and atopic dermatitis. By combining IoT sensors, AI-driven machine learning algorithms, and Living Lab clinical validation, it aims to establish a personalized, preventive health management system that can be applied to vulnerable populations and inform evidence-based environmental health policies.Development of Data-Driven Disaster Information Modeling Platform by Analyzing Multifaceted Causal Analysis of Special Disaster Areas (funded by National Research Foundation of Korea)
This project aims to systematically analyze the causes and impacts of major social disasters in Korea by examining structural and institutional failures across cases such as ferry sinkings, building collapses, and large-scale fires. Using a multidisciplinary and mixed-methods approach, it seeks to propose innovative disaster management policies that enhance community resilience, improve victim support systems, and restore public trust in government.Interventional Study to Prevent Exacerbation of Atopic Dermatitis by Exposure to Particulate Matter (funded by Korean Center for Disease Control)
This project investigates the relationship between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and atopic dermatitis (AD), aiming to identify risk factors, biological mechanisms, and effective prevention strategies. By integrating clinical, environmental, and biomedical data with advanced analytical methods, it seeks to develop scientific evidence and policy guidance to reduce environmental health risks and improve quality of life for vulnerable populations.News Articles
How Communities Shape Burn Survivors’ Return to Society
Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have found that burn survivors experience different levels of success in reintegrating into their North Texas communities based on their geographic locations. In a study published in the journal Burns, researchers in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences combined geospatial mapping data with patient information from the Burn Model System (BMS) National Database.“When people experience severe burn injuries and reenter the community, they experience hardships. It can be difficult to communicate with friends, go shopping or go to school because of social stigma and changes to the body,” said Pyung Kim MS’25, PhD’25, the corresponding author of the study who recently earned his doctorate in public policy and political economy.
Dr. Dohyeong Kim, professor of public policy, geospatial information sciences and social data analytics and research at UT Dallas, is a co-author of the study. He leads the Spatial Health AI Research Partnership, a global interdisciplinary collaboration dedicated to research and education that addresses challenges in public health and other areas through the integration of geospatial science, artificial intelligence and data-driven policy analysis.
“Geospatial mapping transforms abstract data into a visual road map, allowing us to pinpoint health disparities and deploy resources exactly where they are needed most,” he said. “It’s no longer just about tracking diseases; it’s about visualizing the heartbeat of a community to ensure no neighborhood is left behind.”
Other UT Dallas authors of the study are Dr. Richard Scotch, professor emeritus of sociology and of public policy and political economy, and Dohyo Jeong MS’25, PhD’25, now a postdoctoral scholar in public health at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Karen J. Kowalske, the Charles and Peggy Galvin Professor in Physical Medicine at UT Southwestern, also is a study author. The research was funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (grant number 90DPBU0006), which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Cash Saver closes in West Dallas, challenging ‘food desert’ area
Dr. Dohyeong Kim, Professor of Public Policy, GIS and Social Data Analytics and Research, shared his insights in The Dallas Morning News on the recent closure of a Cash Saver grocery store in West Dallas. He explained that grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods do more than provide food. They anchor local economies, create stable jobs, and ensure residents have consistent access to nutritious options. According to Dr. Kim, the loss of a full-service grocery store increases the burden on residents, especially those facing transportation challenges, and can have direct effects on rates of chronic illnesses.
Geospatial Insights into Maternal and Child Oral Health Training in Kenya
Dr. Dohyeong Kim and PPPE doctoral candidate Pyung Kim traveled to Kilifi County, Kenya, from October 12–20 to conduct a KOICA-funded research project analyzing the potential impact of capacity building among the primary health workforce in improving maternal and child health through strengthened oral care service delivery in the county.
Researchers Explore How AI Tracks Breathing, Predicts Air Quality
In two recent studies, University of Texas at Dallas researchers demonstrated how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning can be used to address a variety of issues from a social science policy perspective.Dr. Dohyeong Kim, a researcher in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS), and collaborators in South Korea have developed a wearable stethoscope that uses AI to monitor a patient’s breathing sounds for wheezing. Kim is also part of a team using machine learning to predict levels of airborne bacteria and fungi in indoor environments.
“In EPPS, we have multiple scholars working on AI issues,” said Kim, a professor of public policy, geospatial information sciences (GIS), and social data analytics and research, and senior associate dean of graduate education for EPPS. “AI applications have been primarily the domain of computer scientists or engineers, but it is getting more important to understand how AI can be applied in social science, health care, education, the environment and other areas.”
Kim and his colleagues previously developed a novel AI-based method for counting wheezing events in patients that can indicate breathing trouble that needs medical attention. The wearable stethoscope, described in a new article in the journal Engineering, is a wireless, skin-attachable, low-power device that includes a lung-sound monitoring patch (LSMP).
The LSMP monitors respiratory function through a mobile app and classifies normal and problematic breathing by comparing their unique acoustic characteristics. In the study, which included corresponding authors from South Korea, the LSMP sensor was tested in pediatric patients with asthma and elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The AI-based breathing-event counter was able to distinguish more than 80% of abnormal events, especially wheezing, in the COPD patients.
“In the previous study, we developed a method of training the algorithm with the wheezing sounds, but at the time we had not fully developed the wearable devices,” Kim said. “With the stethoscope fully developed, we can use this AI algorithm to automatically detect in real time whether the breathing sounds are normal. We can monitor and see the intensity and frequency of those wheezing sounds.”
In a related study, published in the Feb. 15 issue of the journal Building and Environment, researchers used machine learning to examine the combined effect of temperature and humidity on indoor bioaerosol concentrations.
“We found that we can use the temperature and humidity as a good predictor of the potential presence of bacteria and mold,” Kim said.
Exposure to airborne bioaerosols, such as bacteria and fungi, presents significant health risks, especially for vulnerable populations like children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Bioaerosol exposure can aggravate respiratory and allergic conditions, underscoring the need for real-time monitoring in indoor environments.
Dr. Dohyeong Kim Explores Academic Partnerships in Vietnam
Dr. Dohyeong Kim, Senior Associate Dean of Graduate Education at EPPS, visited Hanoi, Vietnam from May 26 to June 6, delivering a series of keynote lectures to faculty and students at Foreign Trade University and Vietnam National University. During the visit, Dr. Kim also discussed partnerships in various areas—including dual degree programs, student exchange, and research collaboration with the leadership of each institution.
Affiliations
Advisory Board Member
2023/04DK Foundation
Vice President
2023/01Korean Association of Disastronomy
Chairperson, International Affairs Committee
2023/01The Korean Association for Policy Studies
Member of National Election Commission Overseas Voting
2022/01–2025/06Republic of Korea
Chair
2020/06–2022/05ASPA Section on Korean Public Administration, American Society for Public Administration