More than just a pretty space: What research tells us about parks
For many people, public parks are just a beautiful green space they drive by on their way to work. However, research has shown that parks play a crucial role in people’s physical activity, and the community’s health. By studying parks, researchers aim to understand how these public spaces enhance ...
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Five questions for Dr. Mingsum Lee
Mingsum Lee, MD, PhD, has been named as the 2025 Southern California Permanente Medical Group Physician Researcher of the Year. Commenting about her selection for the award, one nominator said Dr. Lee ...
Los Angeles wildfires increased virtual medical visits
In January 2025, when wildfires swept from the foothills above Los Angeles into the densely populated urban areas below, evacuations ensued and a thick layer of smoke spread across the region. Air quality ...
Predicting heart issues among breast cancer survivors
Researchers have developed a new risk calculation model to help predict the risks of heart problems for breast cancer survivors. Their research was published in JAMA Oncology in October 2025. “There ...
Insomnia in breast cancer survivors is strongly correlated with depression
October 12, 2020Many women who survive breast cancer continue to cope with other issues such as insomnia, depression, and fatigue. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Southern California and the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine sought to determine whether insomnia, which affects about 40% of breast cancer survivors, was a factor that led to depression and fatigue. The study was ...Read more...People invited to be observers in mask adherence study
October 12, 2020A research team from Kaiser Permanente is inviting scientists, academics, and the public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by observing who is masking and physical distancing in outdoor public spaces. The research is part of an ongoing series of studies called SOMAD (Systematic Observation of Mask Adherence and Distancing.) The project is spearheaded by ...Read more...Five questions for … Jeff Slezak
September 28, 2020Jeff Slezak, MS, is a collaborative biostatistician research scientist for the Division of Epidemiologic Research in the Department of Research & Evaluation. He is focused on the application of statistics to improve knowledge and patient care. He has more than 25 years of experience as a statistician, including work on numerous prostate cancer research studies. Can ...Read more...Increasing physical activity, and health, through policy change
September 14, 2020While physical activity is vital for the health and well-being of children and adults, people aren’t doing enough of it, said Deborah Rohm Young, PhD, MBA, of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. One way Dr. Young sought to change that was to lead an effort to create a policy statement for ...Read more...First of several Kaiser Permanente mask adherence studies released in Philadelphia
September 14, 2020Fewer than half of the people observed outdoors in Philadelphia were wearing masks correctly, according to research spearheaded by Deborah Cohen, MD, MPH, of Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation and Philadelphia-based Studio Ludo—a nonprofit focused on building better play through research, design, and advocacy. The study found that 51% of people on ...Read more...5 questions for… Dr. Jaejin An
September 2, 2020Jaejin An, PhD, is a research scientist in the Division of Epidemiologic Research and a pharmacoepidemiologist whose work focuses on understanding medication utilization, medication adherence, and disease management patterns.Read more...Physicians can influence people to try to lose weight
September 1, 2020People who were overweight were less likely to have tried to lose weight if their primary care provider had not talked with them about weight loss, a Kaiser Permanente study found. “By delivering factual information on weight status, primary care providers may motivate their patients to consider weight management strategies,” said Deborah Rohm Young, PhD, the ...Read more...Atypical femur fractures rise with longer bisphosphonate use
August 20, 2020In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Southern California research scientists report that while atypical femur fracture risk is rare, it does increase with longer use of bisphosphonate to treat osteoporosis, especially after 5 years. Asian women had approximately 5 times the risk of these fractures with prolonged bisphosphonate ...Read more...Obesity increases risk of death from COVID-19, particularly for men and young people
August 14, 2020In a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Kaiser Permanente research shows that obesity was associated with a substantial increased risk of death from COVID-19. However, it also found that the risk of death from COVID-19 associated with obesity is not uniform among those who are obese, but instead disproportionately affects men and people ...Read more...Kaiser Permanente joins late-stage COVID-19 vaccine study
August 12, 2020Today, Kaiser Permanente began participating in a phase 3 clinical trial to test an investigational vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the current COVID-19 global pandemic. Kaiser Permanente plans to enroll approximately 1,400 participants at 4 sites in California and Oregon. The goal for this trial is to enroll up to 30,000 participants at more ...Read more...