Women's Health
“What excites me most about our work is the chance to answer questions and develop evidence that is helpful to patients—that includes before, during, and after pregnancy, and through menopause and aging.”
Sascha Dublin, MD, PhD
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute Senior Investigator
Physician, Washington Permanente Medical Group, Internal Medicine
Research overview
Women make up half of the world’s population, but for many years, much health research has focused on men. Women face unique health choices about birth control and pregnancy, cancer screening, preventing osteoporosis, and treating menopause symptoms. For many years, studies of new drugs have systematically excluded pregnant individuals, so when a drug is approved, little is known about its potential impact on a pregnancy or fetus. Studies by Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) investigators are helping women make the best decisions for a healthy pregnancy and a long and healthy life.
In addition to studying “equal-opportunity” conditions such as heart disease, which are common in many people, prior and current areas of study for Kaiser Permanente Washington investigators include:
- Medication safety in pregnancy
- Postpartum health
- Contraception effects and risks
- Screening for breast and cervical cancer, and human papilloma virus (HPV)
- Breast cancer treatment and survivorship
- Osteoporosis and bone health
- Cardiovascular risks for older women
- Menopause symptoms and treatments
An advantage of doing this research at KPWHRI is the large, diverse patient population available through connections to Kaiser Permanente Washington and collaborating research partners across the country. KPWHRI studies include participants of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, ages, genders, educational levels, and socioeconomic status.
“We work with big populations that resemble the real world,” says Sascha Dublin, MD, PhD, KPWHRI senior investigator. “And one reason I love doing research at Kaiser Permanente is that when we get data on how to make our patients’ health better, that research can help make clinical decisions and the clinical decisions then influence our research.”
Recent publications on Women's Health
Souter V, Nethery E, Kopas ML, Wurz H, Sitcov K, Caughey AB. Comparison of midwifery and obstetric care in low-risk hospital births. Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Nov;134(5):1056-1065. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003521. PubMed
Shadyab AH, Manson JE, Li W, Gass M, Brunner RL, Naughton MJ, Cannell B, Howard BV, LaCroix AZ. Associations of parental ages at childbirth with healthy aging among women. Maturitas. 2019;129:6-11. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2019.08.002. Epub 2019 Aug 10. PubMed
Marcum ZA, Vasan S, Tom S, Hart L, Wang Y, Shadyab AH, LaCroix AZ, Gray SL. Self-reported barriers to medication use in older women: findings from the Women's Health Initiative. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2019 Aug 9. pii: S1544-3191(19)30339-5. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2019.07.003. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Anthony MS, Armstrong MA, Getahun D, Scholes D, Gatz J, Schulze-Rath R, Postlethwaite D, Merchant M, Alabaster AL, Chillemi G, Raine-Bennett T, Xie F, Chiu VY, Im TM, Takhar HS, Fassett M, Grafton J, Cronkite D, Ichikawa L, Reed SD, Hui SL, Ritchey ME, Saltus CW, Andrews EB, Rothman KJ, Asiimwe A, Lynen R, Schoendorf J. Identification and validation of uterine perforation, intrauterine device expulsion, and breastfeeding in four health care systems with electronic health records. Clin Epidemiol. 2019 Jul 23;11:635-643. doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S201044. eCollection 2019. PubMed
Wernli KJ, Brandzel SD, Buist DM, Bush M, DeMartini W, Ichikawa L, Haas C, Henderson LM, Johnson D, Kerlikowske K, McColgin D, Miglioretti DL, Nekhlyudov L, Onega T, Rosenberg DE. Is breast MRI better at finding second breast cancers than mammograms alone for breast cancer survivors? Washington, DC: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). 2019. https://doi.org/10.25302/5.2019.CE.13046656.
Researchers in Women's Health
 Diana S. Buist, PhD, MPHDirector of Research and Strategic Partnerships; Senior Investigator |
 Diana L. Miglioretti, PhDSenior Investigator, KPWHRI; Dean’s Professor of Biostatistics, University of California, Davis |
 Sascha Dublin, MD, PhDSenior Investigator |
 Laura Harrington, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
 Karen Wernli, PhDAssociate Investigator |
 Erin J. Bowles, MPHResearch Associate |
 Laura E. Ichikawa, MPHSenior Biostatistician |
 Jennifer F. Bobb, PhDAssistant Investigator |
 Gaia Pocobelli, PhDResearch Associate |
 Ellen O'Meara, PhDResearch Associate |
 Paige D. Wartko, PhD, MPHResearch Associate |
 Andrea Z. LaCroix, PhDSenior Investigator, KPWHRI; Professor and Chief of Epidemiology, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego |
 Mary A. Akosile, MS, MPHBiostatistician I |
 Denise M. Boudreau, PhDSenior Investigator |
 Lu Chen, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
 Aruna Kamineni, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
 Susan M. Shortreed, PhDSenior Investigator |
 Onchee Yu, MSSenior Biostatistician |
 Weiwei Zhu, MSBiostatistician III |
 Karen J. Sherman, PhDSenior Investigator |
 Katherine M. Newton, PhDSenior Investigator (Emeritus) |
Affiliate researchers
Amy Bonomi, PhD, MPH
Professor and Chair, Human Development and Family Studies
Michigan State University
Susan D. Reed, MD, MPH
Harborview Medical Center; UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Rachel Winer, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology
University of Washington
cancer screening
Mailing home HPV test may offer alternative to Pap screen
Dr. Diana Buist and team reflect on HOME trial showing 50 percent screening boost in underscreened women.
Healthy Findings Blog
How should we screen for gestational diabetes?
In our learning health system, we discovered that a new screening approach had increased diagnoses without improving overall outcomes. So remarkably, we switched back.
Read it in Healthy Findings.
Latest News
Ensuring safe medications for older adults & pregnant women
In this short video, Dr. Sascha Dublin tells why KP is an ideal place to pursue her passion: Research to help vulnerable patients get the right drug treatment.
Read about it in News and Events.
cancer
What to expect after a screening breast MRI vs. mammography alone
Diana Buist and BCSC find screening MRI leads to more biopsies, finding fewer cancers, regardless of personal history of breast cancer: JAMA Internal Medicine.
Read it in Healthy Findings.
Recent News
Using breast MRI after cancer may lead to unneeded biopsies
Kaiser Permanente-led BCSC study among largest to evaluate adding MRI surveillance for breast cancer survivors
Read it in News and Events.
Funding News
KPWHRI shares in $17 million grant to improve breast screening
National Cancer Institute support continues nation's largest collection of breast imaging data and funds three studies to personalize screening.
Read it in News and Events.
KPWHRI In the Media
Mailing home HPV tests may provide alternative to Pap screening
Self-testing for cervical cancer increases screening rates
HealthDay, Nov 8, 2019
KPWHRI In the Media
CT scan use in pregnancy rose in U.S. and Canada over two decades
Pregnant women exposed to more risky CT scans
HealthDay, Jul 24, 2019
