DoxyPEP protects against some STIs, but effectiveness against gonorrhea diminishes
Taking doxycycline after sex helped prevent chlamydia and syphilis, but its ability to prevent gonorrhea faded over time as drug‑resistant strains became more common, according to new research. The findings show both the benefits and limits of a prevention strategy now widely used by patients, clinicians, ...
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Education-focused diabetes care linked to better blood sugar control
A large study conducted within Kaiser Permanente Southern California found that people with type 2 diabetes who primarily received diabetes self-management education and support were more likely to ...
Nurses in research: Beatriz Alviso advances patient-centered science
This week, Nurses Week (May 6-12, 2026), we honor all the nurses who work within the Department of Research & Evaluation, who are a vital part of our research. Here we highlight Beatriz Alviso, ...
Nurses in research: Christina Flores builds trust and understanding in vaccine studies
This week, Nurses Week (May 6-12, 2026), we honor all the nurses who work within the Department of Research & Evaluation, who are a vital part of our research. Here we highlight Christina Flores, ...
Prescription guidelines help decrease opioid use
December 15, 2022A Kaiser Permanente Southern California study to evaluate trends in chronic and high-dose use of opioids has determined that national and regional prescribing guidelines help decrease patient use. Results of the study were published Dec. 15, 2022, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study was led by Rulin Hechter, MD, PhD, of the Kaiser ...Read more...Smoking increases risk of bladder cancer recurrence
December 1, 2022It’s well established – but not widely known – that smoking cigarettes increases the risk of bladder cancer. Now, new research shows that current and former smokers are also at higher risk of having their bladder cancer recur after treatment. The study, published November 30 in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from the Be-Well Study, a ...Read more...Study links youth firearm injuries to certain risk factors
October 21, 2022A study of nearly 2 million pediatric Kaiser Permanente members reinforces known links between children’s chances of experiencing a firearm injury and certain risk factors — especially being an adolescent male. The study, which appeared recently in Academic Pediatrics, addresses a number of additional risk factors, providing a broad view of the risk of firearm ...Read more...Exposure to air pollution worsens COVID-19 outcomes, even among the fully vaccinated
October 21, 2022COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, so it’s not surprising that exposure to poor air quality worsens patient outcomes. But how does air pollution affect people who are vaccinated? To answer that question, a team of researchers analyzed data from more than 50,000 Kaiser Permanente Southern California COVID-19 patients. By comparing publicly available air quality monitoring data ...Read more...We have job openings
October 21, 2022Are you looking for an opportunity to make a real difference in health? As a research program embedded within an integrated health care system, the Department of Research & Evaluation provides a rare career opportunity for those who want to use research to help solve real-world health care challenges. To learn more about career opportunities, ...Read more...Chronic metabolic conditions affect metastatic breast cancer survival rates
October 6, 2022Early detection and screening of breast cancer has allowed most women to thrive long after their diagnosis. However, women of color persistently experience disparities in outcomes. Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation have been working to find ways to reduce these disparities and improve the survival rates for all ...Read more...5 questions for … Dr. Amrita Mukherjee
September 21, 2022Amrita Mukherjee, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist in the first year of her postdoctoral program at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. Her research interests include human papillomavirus-associated cancers, gynecologic cancers, comorbidities in cancer patients and survivors, and development of risk prediction models using electronic health records and cancer registry data. ...Read more...5 questions for … Dr. Nana Mensah
September 19, 2022A maternal and child health epidemiologist, Nana Mensah, PhD, MPH, is in the first year of her postdoctoral program at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. Through her research working with the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Pregnancy Registry, she seeks to understand how clinical guidelines and practices shape birth outcomes in ...Read more...5 questions for … Dr. Lewei Duan
September 16, 2022A health economist, Lewei Duan, PhD, MS, is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. She has special interests in improving health care delivery systems, specifically in maximizing health and well-being for older adults and underserved populations. Prior to her current position, Dr. Duan worked as a ...Read more...Remdesivir may reduce hospital readmissions for COVID-19 patients
September 15, 2022A study of Kaiser Permanente Southern California members who were hospitalized for COVID-19 identifies key factors associated with lower chances of readmission — including treatment with the medication remdesivir and delaying discharge until 10 days have passed since COVID-19 symptoms began. “This study supports a continued role for remdesivir in treating COVID-19,” said the study’s lead ...Read more...