Daniel I. Kwon, MD

Daniel Kwon, MD, is a fellowship-trained head and neck cancer surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC, who sees patients for a wide range of head and neck conditions, with a specialized practice in thyroid and parathyroid surgery, advanced squamous cell cancers and free flap reconstruction. Dr. Kwon believes in the importance of trust and integrity and is committed to making his patient’s wellness a priority above all else, no matter the circumstance.

Dr. Kwon is dedicated to researching optimal ways to improve wound healing in high-risk head and neck cancer patients. He is also interested in determining new ways to provide the best functional outcomes and quality of life for patients undergoing head and neck cancer surgery.

He has co-authored dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles on topics such as improving outcomes in early intervention of swallow therapy in throat cancer and personalized thyroid cancer care. He has presented at conferences, covering numerous topics in his field, including comprehensive care for children with thyroid cancer and transoral cancer surgery.

Passionate about serving the community, Dr. Kwon is a dedicated clinical mentor and volunteer with various biomedical outreach programs. He is also a distinguished member of professional organizations such as the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, American Head and Neck Society, American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the American Thyroid Association.

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Kwon moved to California to complete his otolaryngology residency at Loma Linda University. He then went on to New York City for fellowship training in head and neck cancer, microvascular reconstruction and robotic surgery with Dr. Eric Genden and Dr. Brett Miles at Mount Sinai Hospital. After completing his fellowship, Dr. Kwon returned to Southern California and joined the faculty at Loma Linda University. There he worked alongside Dr. Alfred Simental, one of the foremost thyroid cancer surgeons in the country, before joining Keck Medicine to help establish the USC Thyroid Center of Excellence. He is an associate professor of clinical otolaryngology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, within the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

Outside of clinical practice, Dr. Kwon enjoys spending his free time running, cycling and supporting his favorite soccer team. He believes in promoting urban infrastructure and does not like sitting in traffic, so you will usually see him riding his bike to work. Becoming a surgeon and providing care was his childhood dream.