Virtual Research Office

Personnel

Download a printable list of committee members.

Regional Research Committee

Bechien U. Wu, MD

Chair (since 2018)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Stephanie Tovar, MS

RRC Manager

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Antelope Valley

Jonathan Hien Truong, MD

Area Research Chair (since 2015)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

David Bronstein, MD

Vice Area Research Chair (since 2019)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Baldwin Park

Gaurav Khanna, MD

Area Research Chair (since 2012)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Bobeck Modjtahedi, MD

Vice Area Research Chair (since 2019)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Downey

Eugene A. Chu, MD

Area Research Chair (since 2015)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Rajeev Attam, MD

Vice Area Research Chair (since 2018)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Fontana/San Bernardino

Conrad W. Liang, MD, PhD

Area Research Chair (since 2022)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Steve S. Lee, DO

Vice Area Research Chair (since 2016)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Los Angeles

Mingsum Lee, MD, PhD

Area Research Chair (since 2023)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Javed Sheikh, MD

Vice Area Research Chair (since 2023)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Orange County

Emily L. Whitcomb, MD

Area Research Chair (since 2021)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Ali Ghobadi, MD

Vice Area Research Chair (since 2021)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Panorama City

Ahmed Dehal, MD

Area Research Chair (since 2024)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Regional Laboratory

Darryl Palmer-Toy, MD, PhD

Area Research Chair

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Riverside/Palm Springs

Rachid A. Elkoustaf, MD

Area Research Chair (since 2018)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Vivienne S. Hau, MD

Vice Area Research Chair (since 2018)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

San Diego

Shawn Menefee, MD

Area Research Chair (since 2017)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

South Bay

David S. Cohen, MD

Area Research Chair (since 2022)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

West Los Angeles/Kern

Michael J. Fassett, MD

Area Research Chair (since 2007)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Daniel T. Lang, MD

Vice Area Research Chair (since 2010)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Woodland Hills/Ventura

Armen Aboulian, MD

Area Research Chair (since 2022)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Monique George, MD

Vice Area Research Chair (since 2022)

Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Research & Evaluation

Deborah Rohm Young, PhD, MBA

Area Research Chair (since 2021)

Deborah.R.Young@kp.org

Calendar

For assistance, email Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

RRC 2026 Proposal Submission Calendar (Traditional Grant)

RRC Funding Opportunities

The Regional Research Committee is seeking Letters of Intent for research proposals to be considered for the spring funding cycle. The committee aims to support innovative, physician-led projects that meaningfully impact clinical practice.

To apply for a RRC Traditional Grant, please view the eligibility criteria and funding guidelines listed below.

Eligibility criteria — RRC Traditional Grant

Eligible Principal Investigator: SCPMG partner or full-time associate physicians or full-time Kaiser Permanente Southern California employees can apply for this grant and serve as the principal investigator in the study.

Eligible Internal Co-Investigators for RRC Grants

• Retired SCPMG physicians are not eligible to apply for this grant as a principal investigator. A retired SCPMG physician may serve as an internal co-investigator on the study if they have a Retired Partners Agreement with the Department of Research & Evaluation to conduct research.
• Kaiser Permanente Southern California residents or fellows are not eligible to apply for this grant as a principal investigator. A KPSC resident or fellow can be an internal co-investigator if they have a designated faculty mentor serving as the principal investigator in the study.
• Per-diem physicians are not eligible to apply for this grant as a principal investigator. They may serve as an internal co-investigator in the study.
• Employees in the Department of Research & Evaluation are not eligible to apply for this grant as a principal investigator. They may serve as an internal co-investigator in the study.

Ineligible to receive RRC funding

External collaborators or external medical students, residents, or fellows including those participating in a clinical rotation within KPSC are not eligible to serve as  a Co-Investigator on a RRC grant.

Funding guidelines

The RRC allocates funds for studies that add to the evidence base for high-quality medical care. Funding is available to support small, scale pilot studies and data review studies. The funds can be used for data extraction, statistical analysis, and project support. Physician time must be donated to the project. Funding support is available for one year.  Only one project may be funded within 12 months.

An investigator or team of investigators are not allowed to have separate studies funded by the RRC in the same funding cycle or overlapping funding cycles. During the 12-month funding period, all study-related activities must be completed, including all analyses. There is a one-year statute of limitation after the funding end date to submit a manuscript for publication.

The deadline to submit a Traditional Grant letter of intent for the Spring cycle is Friday, February 27, 2026, at 11:59 pm.

To access the Traditional Grant letter of intent template, select the link below:

Traditional Grant Letter of Intent template (Spring 2026)

Terms and conditions of award

The total funding period for each award is one year. The funding period is fixed; there is no opportunity for an extension in funding and funds may not carry over beyond the funding period. Reasonable travel expenses, necessary to the conduct of the project, are allowed. Funds for books, software, medical devices, and equipment are not allowed. The RRC is unable to cover research expenses for abstract submission fees, conference registration fees, or travel reimbursement for attending a conference.

The award also does not provide salary support for personnel employed at other institutions. Reimbursement for physician time is not provided. With permission of their chief of service, physicians can spend their educational half-day and educational leave doing research. It should be remembered that each physician involved in research projects, regardless of source of funding, must have local administrative clearance for time involved in the form of signatures from the chief of service and area medical director.

If you have questions, please contact us at Regional-Research-Committee@kp.org

Researcher of the Year

Each year, the Southern California Permanente Medical Group recognizes a physician or surgeon for their outstanding contribution to research at Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

Mingsum Lee, MD, a cardiologist and the chief of service for the Department of Cardiology at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center., has been named the 2025 SCPMG Physician Researcher of the Year. Dr. Lee’s research and practice focus on cardiovascular diseases. She studies medication adherence, drug safety, variations in care delivery, and factors associated with health care utilization and outcomes. She is interested in quality of care in cardiovascular diseases and the implementation of evidence-based practices. Read more about Dr. Lee and the Researcher of the Year award.

Previous Researchers of the Year