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.
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
Self-collection kits boost cervical cancer screening
A new approach to HPV testing reduces pelvic exams and helps more people get screened, a study finds.
Recent publications
Belongia EA, Kieke BA, Hanson KE, McClure DL, Boyce TG, Daley MF, DeSilva MB, Hurley LP, Irving SA, Jackson LA, Duffy J, McNeil MM, Sundaram ME Retrospective cohort study of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-associated enhanced disease in the Vaccine Safety Datalink, 2021-23 2026 Dec;22(1):2681305. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2026.2681305. Epub 2026-06-07. PubMed
Kasinathan B, Matson TE, Oliver M, Bobb JF, Berger D, Hallgren KA, Jack HE Association of unhealthy alcohol use reported in routine outpatient screening with 30-day hospital readmission risk 2026 Sep;188:209984 doi:10.1016/j.josat.2026.209984. doi: 10.1016/j.josat.2026.209984. Epub 2026-04-24. PubMed
Olawepo JO, Ezeanolue EE, Cohen DJ, Ejim EC, Green B, Huguet N, Holderness H, Idemili-Aronu N, Lindner S, Marino M, Odili AN, Onwuekwe I, Orafa ST, DeVoe JE Testing community-based strategies to increase hypertension screening in Nigeria: a protocol for an effectiveness-implementation hybrid type III cluster-randomized trial 2026 Aug;167:108367 doi:10.1016/j.cct.2026.108367. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2026.108367. Epub 2026-06-05. PubMed
Crawford CL, Hansell LD, Hsu CW, Mogk J, Paz SR, Moore DD, Macias M, Bhakta BB, Ellis D, Lopez C, Jackson T, Borruso A, Graves R, Corralejo V, Gray MF, Young DR, Drewnowski A, Lewis KH, Coleman KJ Beyond the Scale: Patient Perceptions and Experiences of Bariatric Surgery Support-A Qualitative Analysis of the BELONG II Study 2026 Aug;16(4):e70093. doi: 10.1111/cob.70093. PubMed
Collaborate with us
KPWHRI welcomes partnerships with researchers outside of Kaiser Permanente as well as Kaiser Permanente clinicians and researchers. Learn more about collaborating with us.
