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.
Dr. Joan Ryoo is a radiation oncologist at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center. Her research interests focus on the quality of cancer care in integrated health care systems, including the Veterans Health Administration and Kaiser Permanente. During her residency, she worked with the Department of Research & Evaluation to develop a natural language processing algorithm to identify patients with brain metastases who are not reliably captured in the tumor registry. This research ...
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)
Jaejin An, PhD, was awarded the Early Career Investigator of the Year award at this year’s Health Care Systems Research Network conference held this month in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. An is a pharmacoepidemiologist and cardiovascular outcomes researcher for the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation whose work focuses on disease management, ...
People born in countries with a high burden of tuberculosis (TB) and living in the United States have higher rates of TB disease, and may need more focused screening, according to new Kaiser Permanente research. The study also found higher rates of TB among patients with certain high-risk medical conditions. The study was published in Open ...
Eye specialists at Kaiser Permanente Southern California studied whether using a standardized testing criteria among younger adults could improve care, reduce unnecessary testing, and potentially reduce blindness from glaucoma. The eye specialists, working with researchers at University of Southern California, published Outcomes of Glaucoma Referrals in Adults Aged 18 to 40 years in JAMA Network ...
Aniket Kawatkar, PhD, MS, is a research scientist who is interested in understanding the drivers of health care utilization and their associated economic, clinical, and patient-reported outcomes. Dr. Kawatkar uses established methods from econometrics, discrete choice experiments, and net benefit analysis to evaluate interventions and treatments aimed at improving patient care in real-world clinical settings. ...
A Kaiser Permanente found that bariatric surgery reduced health care costs for adults with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in February 2025. “The study shows that both Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) help reduce health care costs for people with Type 2 ...
The latest IMPACT newsletter, which focuses on research from Kaiser Permanente Southern California, is now available! It features 11 stories on our groundbreaking research, links to over a dozen media stories, and a Q&A with a health economics investigator.
Our behavioral scientists focus on research that has the potential to reduce disease risk by identifying modifiable risk factors and encouraging health-promoting behaviors. Faculty members have expertise in the following areas: adverse childhood experiences, cancer, chronic disease prevention and screening, diet and nutrition, mental health, obesity, physical activity, sedentary behavior, social determinants of health, and weight loss surgery and interventions.
The behavioral research portfolio includes intervention studies as well as qualitative and quantitative studies. The division also supports recruitment and other activities of the Kaiser Permanente Research Bank in Southern California.