Our Research
Science to serve one goal: Better health
Scientists at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) have a rare advantage: We work within a system that provides both care and coverage. With a 360-degree view of people’s everyday health experience over time, we discover what works best to serve Kaiser Permanente's mission: better health.
We collaborate closely with Kaiser Permanente Washington's medical staff and other providers — gaining from their perspectives on practical approaches to health care’s toughest problems. Together, we create a learning health care system — a place where research strengthens practice and practice strengthen research.
Scientists
Working in the public interest
Our faculty work on interdisciplinary research teams, conducting about 300 studies at any given time. They partner with affiliate researchers and others from academic institutions and health systems and share findings in the public domain to serve the public good.
See our KPWHRI researcher directory.
2023 annual report
Research and innovation for better health
In 2023, KPWHRI conducted impactful studies on cancer screening, vaccine safety, suicide prevention, dementia care, and more.
Funding sources
A broad base of support
Most of our support comes from federal agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health. We also contract with biomedical companies and receive grants from private foundations. About 5 percent of our budget comes from Kaiser Permanente Washington.
See our list of funders.
Research
Changing sitting habits shows meaningful impact
A new trial highlights a promising intervention to improve blood pressure in older adults.
Recent publications
Mackey CD, Schultz ME, Nguyen KH, Mettert KD, Bernabe AM, Garcia M, Jaffe AE, Larimer ME. A longitudinal investigation of PTSD symptoms, hazardous drinking, and relationship satisfaction in college student dating relationships. J Soc Pers Relat. 2024 Oct;41(10):2983-3007. doi: 10.1177/02654075241259106. Epub 2024 Jun 7. PubMed
McAteer S, Wartko P, Hajat A, Fuller S, Shortreed SM, Butler A, Enquobahrie DA, Garcia R, Dublin S. Racial and ethnic disparities in the incidence and treatment: of urinary tract infection during pregnancy. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2025 Apr 29. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2024.0940. Online ahead of print. PubMed
Wesolowicz DM, Becker WC, Alegria M, Chin-Purcell L, Glass JE, Knudsen HK, Dow PM, Seal KH, McGinty EB. Integrating implementation outcomes into effectiveness studies: A practical guide for clinical interventionists. J Gen Intern Med. 2025 Apr 29. doi: 10.1007/s11606-025-09551-1. Online ahead of print. PubMed
Atmar RL, Lyke KE, Posavad CM, Deming ME, Brady RC, Dobrzynski D, Edupuganti S, Mulligan MJ, Rupp RE, Rostad CA, Jackson LA, Martin JM, Shriver MC, Rajakumar K, Coler RN, El Sahly HM, Kottkamp AC, Branche AR, Frenck RW, Johnston C, Babu TM, Bäcker M, Archer JI, Crandon S, Nakamura A, Nayak SU, Szydlo D, Dominguez Islas CP, Brown ER, O'Connell SE, Montefiori DC, Eaton A, Neuzil KM, Stephens DS, Beigel JH, Pasetti M, Roberts PC. Mucosal and systemic antibody responses after boosting with a bivalent messenger RNA severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 vaccine. J Infect Dis. 2025 Apr 29:jiaf176. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf176. Online ahead of print. PubMed
Collaborate with us
KPWHRI oversees all research conducted at Kaiser Permanente Washington, ensuring that all studies involving Kaiser Permanente Washington members are aligned with the organization’s primary mission: to improve health. Researchers from outside Kaiser Permanente Washington can learn more about our processes for collaborating with KPWHRI faculty members.
Land Acknowledgment
Our Seattle offices sit on the occupied land of the Duwamish and by the shared waters of the Coast Salish people, who have been here thousands of years and remain. Learn about practicing land acknowledgment.