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. Armen Aboulian is a staff physician and surgeon at the Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center and the area research chair for Woodland Hills/Ventura on the Southern California Permanente Medical Group’s Regional Research Committee. He is an associate professor of Surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons Society and a member of the American College of Colon and Rectal Surgery Society.
Through his research, Dr. ...
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)
A behavioral and public health scientist, Taynara Formagini, PhD, MSc, is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Research & Evaluation. Her work focuses on preventing cardiovascular and chronic diseases among racial and ethnic minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations through a combination of intervention research and epidemiology. What inspired you to pursue research? I’m ...
Kaiser Permanente research found that breast cancer survivors have a higher risk of developing other cancers if they have other preexisting health conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. “Preexisting health conditions are common in people diagnosed with cancer and what we’ve learned with this study is that comorbidities — experiencing multiple illnesses or ...
Maheen Humayun, PhD, MPH, is an infectious disease epidemiologist and postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Research & Evaluation. Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Humayun worked as an HIV Cluster Detection and Response Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In that role, she analyzed national HIV surveillance data to detect rapid ...
About 16% of breast cancer survivors continued to use opioid pain medications after their cancer treatment was complete, a new Kaiser Permanente study showed. The study also found that risk of death was 84% higher among these survivors who continued to use opioids. The study was published in June 2025 in JNCI Cancer Spectrum. “The ...
Growing numbers of patients are diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 and 39. These younger cancer patients can have complex health needs after their cancer treatment and should receive health care that includes screening for new cancers, addresses potential issues related to their treatment, and emphasizes general preventive care. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente ...
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.
The Division of Clinician Research provides support and resources for researchers who maintain clinical practices while building their own research portfolios. Key goals include fostering collaboration among clinician researchers, expanding research education, and promoting research that has the potential to transform care and improve the health of our communities.
The division, which was established in 2023, provides administrative support to the Regional Research Committee and the Clinician Investigator Program and manages a team of biostatisticians dedicated to physician research. It co-leads the Care Improvement Research Team, a group that brings together clinicians and research scientists to answer questions with the potential to change practice.
The division actively engages with various collaborators throughout the organization and is working to establish an interconnected network of clinicians, scientists, educators, administrators, and leaders who will work together to drive clinically impactful change through research.