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

Nana Mensah, PhD, MPH
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Division of Epidemiologic Research
626-564-7065
Nana.A.Mensah@kp.org

Dr. Mensah is a maternal/child health epidemiologist and postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Research & Evaluation. Her research seeks to understand how clinical guidelines and practices shape preterm birth outcomes in women at risk for preterm labor. Her research priorities include working with the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Pregnancy Registry.

Before joining Kaiser Permanente in 2021, Dr. Mensah worked in research in a number of roles at the University of ...

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: Five questions for … Dr. Heidi Brown

Five questions for … Dr. Heidi Brown

Heidi Brown, MD, MAS, is a urogynecologist and a dissemination and implementation scientist who joined the Department of Research & Evaluation in August 2023. Her research focuses on improving access to effective solutions for pelvic floor disorders such as bladder and bowel incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. She uses community engagement, user-centered design, and iterative ...

No increased risk associated with flu vaccines given in closely spaced pregnancies

Monitoring of about 45,000 pregnant people receiving flu vaccines in each of 2 successive pregnancies showed no increased risk of side effects or health issues, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published September 19, 2024, in JAMA Network Open. “Our study’s findings support recommendations to give flu vaccinations to pregnant persons even if they received ...

Beta blockers not all the same for patients with heart failure and CKD

A Kaiser Permanente Southern California study showed that 1 heart-failure medication worked best among the 3 most commonly used to prevent illness and disease among patients with chronic kidney disease and heart failure. “Beta blockers save lives in heart failure patients, but we wanted to see how this worked among patients who also had chronic ...

Gay men may be aging faster

Gay men had shorter age-adjusted telomere length, which is a biomarker of aging, than straight men, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. “While everyone ages at the same rate chronologically, studies have shown that we do not age at the same rate biologically,” said the lead author on ...

High-dose and adjuvanted flu vaccines provided better protection for seniors

High-dose and adjuvanted influenza (flu) vaccines boosted protection against flu symptoms and hospitalization for people 65 years and older during the 2022-2023 flu season compared to the standard flu vaccine. The study was published on August 21, 2024, in Clinical Infectious Diseases. “Our research showed that there were advantages for older people to receive high-dose ...

Events

Featured Division

Clinical Trials Research

Our physician investigators conduct clinical trials in communities across Southern California, from Bakersfield to San Diego.

The Division of Clinical Trials Research advances medical innovation by supporting evaluation of new drugs, therapies, and devices to prevent and treat health problems. Our physician investigators work with cooperative groups and industry sponsors to conduct clinical trials for investigational drugs, biologics, and devices. In addition, the division develops pragmatic trials that help answer questions about care delivery.

The region has clinical trials programs in oncology (adult, gynecologic, pediatric, and surgical/radiation oncology), urology, gynecology, neurology, dermatology, metabolic diseases, nephrology, ophthalmology, infectious disease, cardiology, hepatology, vascular surgery, and rheumatology. Clinical trials staff support trials at medical centers and medical office buildings throughout the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region.