About Our Program

As a research center embedded within Kaiser Permanente’s large and dynamic health care system, our investigators have a unique opportunity to apply scientific expertise to real-world clinical problems, translate findings into practice, and share what we learn with the broader community.

Featured Scientist

Ashraf Aziz, MD
Ashraf Aziz, MD
Principal Investigator

Hematology/Oncology
Orange County-Irvine Medical Center

Dr. Ashraf Aziz serves as the principal investigator for hematology clinical trials at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating the availability and access to cutting-edge hematology clinical trials, ensuring both the scientific integrity and regulatory accuracy in the conduct of each study.

In addition to his research responsibilities, Dr. Aziz leads the regional Hematology Tumor Board, where he works collaboratively with lead hematologists ...

Featured Video

Advancing treatments through clinical trials

Over the years, clinical trials have led to amazing advances in treatment—even cures—for devastating illnesses. William Towner, MD, FACP, FIDSA, regional physician director for clinical trials, describes how trials at Kaiser Permanente contribute to the development of more effective and safer treatments for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis C, cancer, and more. (2:15)

News

Featured Image of News Story Titled: Good news for people newly diagnosed with MOGAD: Study finds low relapse risk

Good news for people newly diagnosed with MOGAD: Study finds low relapse risk

People newly diagnosed with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease, or MOGAD, generally had a low risk of relapse and lasting disability, according to a Kaiser Permanente study. Researchers from Kaiser Permanente in Southern California followed 69 children and adults diagnosed at their first MOGAD attack and found that more than 80% fully recovered, while just ...

Ultraprocessed foods linked to body fat gain in children

Children who ate more ultraprocessed foods showed stronger activity in a part of the brain involved in reward, and that brain response was linked to greater gains in body fat over the following year, a new study found. The study — published October 2026 in JAMA Network Open — followed 46 children ages 7 to ...

No increased stroke risk found after COVID-19 and flu vaccinations

A large multisite study found that bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, flu vaccination, and same-day administration of both vaccines were not associated with an increased risk of first-ever ischemic stroke. “This study found no evidence of an increased risk of ischemic stroke following bivalent COVID-19 vaccination, influenza vaccination, or receiving both vaccines on the same day,” ...

RSV vaccine protects older adults for at least 3 seasons

An RSV vaccine continued to protect adults aged 60 and older against RSV-related hospitalization and emergency department visits for at least 3 seasons after vaccination, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente in Southern California. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common respiratory virus that can cause serious illness, hospitalization, and even death ...

Five questions for Dr. Casey Luc

Casey Luc, PhD, MPH, an epidemiologist with expertise in HIV epidemiology in underserved communities, is the fifth Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epidemic Intelligence Service officer to train with Kaiser Permanente Southern California’s Department of Research & Evaluation. Before joining Kaiser Permanente, he served as a health scientist contractor in the Syndemic Infectious Diseases ...

Featured Division

Health Services Research & Implementation Science

Investigators with the Division of Health Services Research & Implementation Science study how care is delivered, identify opportunities for care improvement, and implement new approaches for organizing and delivering health services. The division brings together scientists with diverse expertise and training, including emergency medicine, epidemiology, health services research, implementation science, internal medicine, nursing, pharmaceutical economics, and pulmonology.

The division co-leads the Care Improvement Research Team, a research team embedded within Kaiser Permanente Southern California’s quality improvement ecosystem. The team works closely with clinical and operational partners at Kaiser Permanente Southern California to identify, prioritize, and solve problems related to quality and affordability. Its goal is to reduce unnecessary practice variation, improve affordability, and transform care.