Daniel Jacob Benjamin

Daniel Jacob Benjamin is a Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, jointly appointed in the Anderson School of Management, the Department of Human Genetics (David Geffen School of Medicine), and the Department of Public Policy. A leading figure in genoeconomics, he directs major NIH-funded initiatives and co-founded the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium (SSGAC).

Education

• Ph.D. in Economics, Harvard University (2006)
• M.Sc. in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, London School of Economics (2001)
• A.M. in Statistics, Harvard University (1999)
• A.B. in Economics, Harvard University (2006)

Research Interests

Benjamin’s work integrates behavioral economics with statistical and social-science genomics. His research spans:

• Large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of educational attainment, income, risk tolerance, and subjective well-being.
• Development and ethical evaluation of polygenic indices for social and behavioral traits.
• Methodological innovations, including family-based GWAS designs, assortative-mating corrections, and multi-trait analysis (MTAG).

He leads the Polygenic Index Repository, an open resource now covering dozens of phenotypes in millions of individuals.

Scientific Awards & Honors

While no formal awards are listed in the provided text, Benjamin’s publications have garnered thousands of citations, and his leadership roles in consortia such as SSGAC and large-scale NIH grants (R01, R24) underscore his prominence.

Funding & Grants

• NIH R24AG065184 (PI): Infrastructure and Core Activities of the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium (2019–2024)
• NIH R01AG051903 (PI): Using Subjective Well-Being Data to Monitor Changes in Health and Well-Being (2016–2021)
• NIH R01AG042568 / R56AG042568 (PI): Genome-Wide Analyses of Health and Well-Being Phenotypes (2015–2022)
• NIH R21AG037741 (PI): Measuring Preferences Needed to Guide Saving and Investing for Retirement (2010–2015)

Labs & Teams

Benjamin directs the Social Science Genomics Lab at UCLA and provides scientific leadership for the SSGAC, coordinating GWAS meta-analyses across >50 cohorts worldwide. He also mentors a growing team of post-docs, graduate students, and research assistants working on family-based GWAS, ethical genomics, and polygenic prediction.