As an exercise physiologist and researcher, Oh Sung Kwon has long been focused on different types of exercise and nutritional interventions to improve the health and function of an aging population, particularly with regard to skeletal muscle dysfunction and atrophy (sarcopenia), cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders associated with obesity and diabetes. He is involved in multiple research projects in this area, including a study at the UConn Center on Aging at UConn Health. Kwon joined the Department of Kinesiology as an assistant professor in January 2019
“I am researching the role of mitochondria and mitochondrial-derived oxidative stress in muscular and vascular dysfunction with aging-related diseases such as COPD, heart failure and cancer,” Kwon explains. “We are studying skeletal muscle and vasculatures with various disease models.”
“A growing understanding of the biological processes involved in aging has led to the Geroscience Hypothesis, which states that therapies designed to target biological aging may not only slow aging but may also delay the onset and progression of chronic diseases.”
“My goal is to improve and maintain our health as we age and live healthy and active lives,” Kwon says. He goes on to explain the importance of staying active, citing studies that show a single incident of low-intensity recreational activity by persons with health issues such as obesity and diabetes have shown to be beneficial on a cellular level, giving proof that regular exercise does not have to be overly strenuous to benefit an aging population.
