Department of Research & Evaluation News

Kristi Reynolds, PhD, MPH, is a chronic disease epidemiologist and the director of the Division of Epidemiologic Research for the Department of Research & Evaluation. Her research focuses on the prevention and treatment of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. She also studies medication adherence, drug safety, and cardiovascular quality of care and outcomes. Dr. Reynolds has more than 2 decades of experience leading and collaborating on multisite epidemiological and intervention studies. She is also a professor in the Department of Health Systems Science of the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine.

What inspired you to become a research scientist?

After obtaining my Bachelor of Science degree in environmental health, I worked in a health department in Washington state. I loved the work and was inspired to pursue a degree in epidemiology. I only intended to obtain a master’s degree at Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, but my mentor, Dr. Jiang He, encouraged me to obtain a PhD. It was the best decision; I’ve loved the journey.

Have you always wanted to be in a leadership role, or did you just “fall into it?”

It’s not something I necessarily sought, but people who have known me much of my life are not surprised. I’ve always enjoyed bringing people together and positively influencing others. I love seeing others succeed and making sure they get the recognition they deserve, much more than gaining accolades for myself. I also enjoy examining processes and working with others to find ways to make work more efficient for everyone.

What are the biggest challenges and rewards of leading the Division of Epidemiologic Research?

I’m honored to lead such an incredible team of scientists and postdocs. Seeing their successes is very rewarding. I’m very proud of the work that the team conducts. Their research findings are improving everyday care for our members and communities and will continue to support the mission of the Department of Research & Evaluation and Kaiser Permanente more broadly. I love to see teamwork in action. and I know every time one of them has a success, it is built upon contributions from throughout the department.

Since COVID, I think the biggest challenge is that we don’t have the social dynamics that we did when we were in the office. I worry that we may lose team cohesiveness, and that people aren’t making connections or really getting to know their colleagues. I have many good friends that I met 20-plus years ago through my prior jobs and am grateful to have those connections. Don’t get me wrong, there are many benefits to hybrid work! We just need to explore and adopt more strategies that foster connection.

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

I’m most proud of my research in lipid screening and adherence to statins that started as a collaboration in 2009 with Dr. Steve Derose (a former research scientist in the Division of Health Services Research and Implementation Science) and Dr. Ronald Scott (physician at the West Los Angeles Medical Center and Southern California Permanente Medical Group cardiovascular disease and medication adherence co-lead). Along with others in the department*, we published 3 studies focused on why patients were not picking up their initial statin prescription. These studies lead to the implementation of an outreach program to members who never filled their initial statin prescription. A few years later, the Research & Evaluation cardiovascular disease team**, Dr. Scott, and I examined trends in lipid screening and statin use at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Our findings led to the implementation of another outreach program in 2019, the High LDL-C Statin Start SureNet program. This program identifies adults with high levels of bad cholesterol who have not filled their statin prescription. In 2022, Dr. Matt Mefford received Care Improvement Research Team funding to evaluate this SureNet statin start program and found that the program was effective. The publication led to the SureNet statin start program being recognized with the prestigious international UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Award.  All this work has been extremely rewarding, as it has improved the lives of patients with high cholesterol, enhancing their prospects for a longer and healthier lives.

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

When I’m not working, I enjoy being outdoors – walking, running, or exploring different parts of Los Angeles. I also try to travel as much as possible. I’ve been to 30 countries and hope to be able to make it to 30 more in my lifetime.

Photo: Some of the places Dr. Reynolds has traveled to in 2024, from top left clockwise: Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, Vietnam; Gig Harbor, Washington (pictured with her partner, Mark Hinson); Siem Reap, Cambodia; Hoa Lu, Vietnam; Bogotá, Colombia; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

*Craig Cheetham (retired research scientist), Vicki Chiu, Teresa Harrison

**Craig Cheetham (retired research scientist), Deborah Ling Grant, Jin-Wen Hsu (retired biostatistician), Teresa Harrison, Rong Wei