"It's extremely fascinating to me, and I'm happy that Kaiser Permanente devotes time and energy to improve our lives. Some research may not affect us today, but certainly tomorrow for our children and their children"

- Member from Concord          

Welcome to the Web site for the Research Program on Genes, Environment, and Health – Spring 2008

Last year, we invited 1.9 million Kaiser Permanente Northern California members to participate in the Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health – a long-term research program to identify genetic and environmental factors that affect people’s health, and then use that information to improve health and health care in the years to come.

Since then, nearly 400,000 members have completed the RPGEH Health Survey and agreed to participate in the Research Program.  

To everyone who responded, we offer a sincere "thank you!" Research on genes and the environment is one of the most promising fields in medicine today, and we can’t do it without volunteers.   

Now, we are beginning to contact survey respondents and asking them to give a small saliva sample for DNA analysis. This information will be joined together with their medical and health survey information in a new genetics “databank.”  The Kaiser Permanente databank will be among the largest and most diverse in the world. It will allow scientists to study a wide range of health conditions over a number of years.

We are also continuing to recruit Northern California members who want to complete the Health Survey and take part in the Research Program.

This website has been updated and answers basic questions that participants, potential volunteers and members of the public may have about the Research Program. If you still have questions after reading the material, please email them to us and our staff will get back to you as soon as they can.

Catherine Schaefer, PhD Director of Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health		Joe Selby, MD, MPH Director of the Division of Research

The content of this Web site has been reviewed and approved by the KPNC IRB.

The Division of Research     KaiserPermanente.org