Department of Research & Evaluation News

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 testing to inform development, adaptation, implementation, and maintenance of interventions that improve quality of life.

What inspired you to become a research scientist?

I was a junior in college when I took a required introductory health services research class that inspired my passion for research. We learned how to run basic analyses in SPSS, a statistical analysis software, with an old Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System dataset. I was hooked! The professor, Susan Allen, went on to mentor my undergrad honors thesis, and though she is retired now, she still reads my grants! She has been a lifelong mentor who completely changed the course of my life.

Why are women’s pelvic health issues important to address?

Most of us feel uncomfortable even talking about healthy bladder and bowel function – so you can imagine how much harder it is to talk about these things when they are not working well. Pelvic health issues impact women and men and prevent them from living their best lives. But pelvic floor disorders remain vastly under-treated, in part because of embarrassment talking about them, but also because people do not know that good treatments exist. I love my work because I get to share knowledge and partner with patients to choose treatment plans that help them achieve their personal goals.

Why did you decide to join Research & Evaluation?

Research & Evaluation is the perfect place to do the type of research I like to do. Plus, I loved working at Kaiser Permanente Southern California as a fellow from 2010 to 2013. We have the infrastructure and resources here to answer questions that almost no one else can answer, not just about what works but also about how to implement what works and reach those who are most likely to fall through the cracks in other systems. I am also really fortunate to have a dual appointment in Research & Evaluation and in the Division of Urogynecology in San Diego, so I am able to keep doing what I love clinically as well as what I love to do in my research.

What research have you done that you’ve been most proud of? And why?

I am most proud of a research partnership with community organizations in Wisconsin through which we developed and tested a community-based small-group self-management program to improve bladder and bowel symptoms in women ages 50 or older who may not have access to urogynecology specialists in their local areas. The program, Mind Over Matter: Healthy Bowels, Healthy Bladder, is now implemented by community organizations in 10 states across the country (not yet in California, but I hope we will get there soon!), so I know that it continues to make a difference in the lives of real people.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time when you are not at work?

I have 3 little boys (ages 2.5, 5, and 9) so I am having a hard time remembering what spare time feels like. I love spending time outdoors, especially hiking and being near the ocean, and love cooking and food and wine pairing in those rare moments when I can be alone in the kitchen.

A little bit more background on Dr. Brown…

Dr. Brown attended college and medical school at Brown University’s Program in Liberal Medical Education and completed an applied epidemiology fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a medical student. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Magee-Womens Hospital. She completed her fellowship in Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery at Kaiser Permanente Southern California and University of California, San Diego, where she also obtained a Master of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research. Before joining Research & Evaluation, Dr. Brown was on faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health for 10 years.

Photo
From left to right: Dr. Brown’s sons, Wentworth Cushman, A. Bradley Cushman, Dr. Brown, and her youngest son, Etienne Cushman, in the arms of her husband Matthew Cushman. They are at one of Dr. Brown’s favorite places on earth: the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, in San Diego, California.