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
Coley RY, Hays R, Pardee RE, Fuller S, Rogers K, Allen CL, Arterburn DE, Frazier RK, Kent DJ, Mun S, Mwatha T, Thottingal P, Westbrook EO Development and Validation of an Electronic Health Record-Derived Prediction Model for Preventing COVID-19 Hospitalization and Death 2026 Oct;27(7):1023-1035 doi:10.1007/s11121-025-01844-5. doi: 10.1007/s11121-025-01844-5. Epub 2025-10-20. PubMed
Sethness JL, Simmons KB, Zhang Y, Hoopes AJ Key Takeaways for Adolescent-Serving Clinicians in the 2024 U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use and Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use 2026 Oct;39(5):580-589 doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2026.02.012. doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2026.02.012. Epub 2026-02-26. PubMed
Jones SMW, Keegan THM, Hahn EE, Nichols HB, O'Meara ES, Figueroa Gray M, Wernli KJ, Sauder CAM, Kirchhoff AC, Laurent CA, Kushi LH, Chubak J Test-Retest Reliability and Mode Effects on Single-Item and Multi-Item Measures in a Survey of Adolescent and Young Adults with Cancer 2026 Oct;15(5):340-346 doi:10.1177/21565333251414792. doi: 10.1177/21565333251414792. Epub 2026-01-12. 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.
