More than just a pretty space: What research tells us about parks
For many people, public parks are just a beautiful green space they drive by on their way to work. However, research has shown that parks play a crucial role in people’s physical activity, and the community’s health. By studying parks, researchers aim to understand how these public spaces enhance ...
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Five questions for Dr. Mingsum Lee
Mingsum Lee, MD, PhD, has been named as the 2025 Southern California Permanente Medical Group Physician Researcher of the Year. Commenting about her selection for the award, one nominator said Dr. Lee ...
Los Angeles wildfires increased virtual medical visits
In January 2025, when wildfires swept from the foothills above Los Angeles into the densely populated urban areas below, evacuations ensued and a thick layer of smoke spread across the region. Air quality ...
Predicting heart issues among breast cancer survivors
Researchers have developed a new risk calculation model to help predict the risks of heart problems for breast cancer survivors. Their research was published in JAMA Oncology in October 2025. “There ...
Exposure to air pollution worsens COVID-19 outcomes, even among the fully vaccinated
October 21, 2022COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, so it’s not surprising that exposure to poor air quality worsens patient outcomes. But how does air pollution affect people who are vaccinated? To answer that question, a team of researchers analyzed data from more than 50,000 Kaiser Permanente Southern California COVID-19 patients. By comparing publicly available air quality monitoring data ...Read more...We have job openings
October 21, 2022Are you looking for an opportunity to make a real difference in health? As a research program embedded within an integrated health care system, the Department of Research & Evaluation provides a rare career opportunity for those who want to use research to help solve real-world health care challenges. To learn more about career opportunities, ...Read more...Chronic metabolic conditions affect metastatic breast cancer survival rates
October 6, 2022Early detection and screening of breast cancer has allowed most women to thrive long after their diagnosis. However, women of color persistently experience disparities in outcomes. Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation have been working to find ways to reduce these disparities and improve the survival rates for all ...Read more...5 questions for … Dr. Amrita Mukherjee
September 21, 2022Amrita Mukherjee, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist in the first year of her postdoctoral program at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. Her research interests include human papillomavirus-associated cancers, gynecologic cancers, comorbidities in cancer patients and survivors, and development of risk prediction models using electronic health records and cancer registry data. ...Read more...5 questions for … Dr. Nana Mensah
September 19, 2022A maternal and child health epidemiologist, Nana Mensah, PhD, MPH, is in the first year of her postdoctoral program at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. Through her research working with the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Pregnancy Registry, she seeks to understand how clinical guidelines and practices shape birth outcomes in ...Read more...5 questions for … Dr. Lewei Duan
September 16, 2022A health economist, Lewei Duan, PhD, MS, is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. She has special interests in improving health care delivery systems, specifically in maximizing health and well-being for older adults and underserved populations. Prior to her current position, Dr. Duan worked as a ...Read more...Remdesivir may reduce hospital readmissions for COVID-19 patients
September 15, 2022A study of Kaiser Permanente Southern California members who were hospitalized for COVID-19 identifies key factors associated with lower chances of readmission — including treatment with the medication remdesivir and delaying discharge until 10 days have passed since COVID-19 symptoms began. “This study supports a continued role for remdesivir in treating COVID-19,” said the study’s lead ...Read more...Antidepressants linked to lower risk of prostate cancer recurrence
September 9, 2022In a study of more than 10,000 Kaiser Permanente members diagnosed with both prostate cancer and depression, those who used antidepressants had a lower risk of cancer recurrence. These findings appeared September 9, 2022, in Cancer Causes & Control. “Our research highlights how important it is for patients with prostate cancer to be screened and treated ...Read more...Fewer hospitalizations for home-based cardiac rehabilitation patients
August 25, 2022Patients who participated in in-home cardiac rehabilitation had fewer hospitalizations over 12 months than patients who participated in center-based cardiac rehabilitation, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published August 25, 2022, in JAMA Network Open. “The remarkable thing we found in this study of more than 2,500 diverse patients was that health advantages of home-based cardiac ...Read more...Increased health care use among patients after COVID-19
August 12, 2022A study led by Kaiser Permanente in Southern California of patients from 8 health care organizations across the United States showed that COVID-19 was associated with a 4% increase in use of health care services over the 6 months after initial infection. The study was published August 12, 2022, in JAMA Network Open. Some people who were ...Read more...