Kaiser Permanente
Division of Research Spotlight
The Kaiser Permanente Division of Research conducts, publishes, and disseminates epidemiologic and health services research to improve the health and medical care of Kaiser Permanente members and society at large. We seek to understand the determinants of illness and well-being, and to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care. Currently, DOR’s 550-plus staff is working on more than 350 epidemiological and health services research projects.
Researcher Hélène Choquet, PhD, was in college studying biology when she heard about the first complete sequencing of the human genome; her interest in genetics has led her to a career exploring the genome for the origins of disease.
Study led by Kaiser Permanente research scientist Lawrence H. Kushi, ScD, will help advance precision cancer care.
A Kaiser Permanente genetic analysis found 41 new locations on the human genome related to risk of hernia in the lower abdomen and identified for the first time 2 locations associated with inguinal hernia risk in people with African ancestry and another 8 that show sex-specific effects.
A Kaiser Permanente genetic analysis found 82 locations on the human genome associated with migraine, 48 of them newly identified, including 3 specific to women, who experience migraine much more frequently than men.
Using data from Kaiser Permanente and United Kingdom biobanks, researchers have identified new locations on the human genome that could relate to the risk of age-related cataract.
People can look to the Northern European side of their genetic heritage for increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer, according to the first large analysis of genetic risk factors for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in diverse populations with European ancestry from Kaiser Permanente researchers.
The investigators wanted to better understand corneal thickness variation between individuals and its relationship with vision disorders such as primary open-angle glaucoma and keratoconus, which can both lead to vision loss.
New research involving Kaiser Permanente researchers and genetic data reveals for the first time which specific genes contribute to myopia risk.
Analysis finds that neurological side effects from the anti-seizure medication phenytoin are more common in patients with certain genetic variants that were also associated with lower adherence to treatment, suggesting they may play a role in patients finding the right medication.
Genetics research suggests that longer telomeres — the “end caps” of DNA that keep strands of chromosomes from unraveling — mean more years of healthy life ahead.
