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:
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.”
Wartko PD, Weiss NS, Enquobahrie DA, Chan KCG, Stephenson-Famy A, Mueller BA, Dublin S. Maternal gestational weight gain in relation to antidepressant continuation in pregnancy. Am J Perinatol. 2020 Jun 30. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1713652. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Dublin S, Wartko P, Mangione-Smith R. Studying medication safety in pregnancy: a call for new approaches, resources, and collaborations. Pediatrics. 2020 Jul;146(1):e20201540. doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-1540. Epub 2020 Jun 8. PubMed
Henderson LM, O'Meara ES, Haas JS, Lee CI, Kerlikowske K, Sprague BL, Alford-Teaster J, Onega T. The role of social determinants of health in self-reported access to health care among women undergoing screening mammography. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2020 May 5. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2019.8267. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Shadyab AH, Manson JE, Luo J, Haring B, Saquib N, Snetselaar LG, Chen JC, Groessl EJ, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Sun Y, Hale L, LeBoff MS, LaCroix AZ. Associations of coffee and tea consumption with survival to age 90 years among older women. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Apr 24. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16467. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Zaslavsky O, Su Y, Rillamas-Sun E, Roopsawang I, LaCroix AZ. Accelerometer-measured physical activity levels and fatigue in older women. J Aging Phys Act. 2020 Apr 16:1-7. doi: 10.1123/japa.2019-0308. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
![]() Diana S. Buist, PhD, MPHDirector of Research and Strategic Partnerships; Senior Investigator |
![]() Sascha Dublin, MD, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Laura Harrington, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
![]() Karen Wernli, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Erin J. Bowles, MPHResearch Associate |
![]() Laura E. Ichikawa, MSBiostatistician III |
![]() Jennifer F. Bobb, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Gaia Pocobelli, PhDResearch Associate |
![]() Ellen O'Meara, PhDResearch Associate |
![]() Paige D. Wartko, PhD, MPHResearch Associate |
![]() Mary A. Akosile, MS, MPHBiostatistician I |
![]() Denise M. Boudreau, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Aruna Kamineni, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
![]() Susan M. Shortreed, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Onchee Yu, MSBiostatistician III |
![]() Weiwei Zhu, MSBiostatistician III |
![]() Karen J. Sherman, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Katherine M. Newton, PhDSenior Investigator (Emeritus) |
![]() Yu-Ru Su, PhDAssistant Investigator |
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