About This Program

The Research Team

The research team

Catherine Schaefer, PhD
Director of Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
bio

Neil J. Risch , PhD
Co-director, Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health, and Adjunct Investigator
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
bio

Joe Selby, MD, MPH
Director of the Division of Research
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
bio

Elize M. Brown, J.D.
Director of Community Collaboration
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
bio

Charles P. Quesenberry, PhD
Biostatistician and Research Scientist
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
bio

Carol P. Somkin PhD
Sociologist and Research Scientist
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
bio

Stephen Van Den Eeden, PhD
Epidemiologist and Research Scientist
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
bio

"I'm glad that research is part of what Kaiser Permanente does"
- Member from Oakland          

Academic support

Throughout planning, DOR researchers have drawn upon the Bay Area’s rich academic community for input and support. We have received letters of support from the Deans of the Stanford University and University of California, San Francisco medical schools, as well as the Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley.

The Scientific Advisory Panel

The 6-member Scientific Advisory Panel provides scientific leadership and guidance to the research team. The members are all prominent leaders in their fields, including:

Dan G. Blazer, MD, PhD
JP Gibbons Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Duke University

Ana V. Diez-Roux, MD, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor of Epidemiology
University of Michigan, School of Public Health

Henry T. Greely, JD 
Deane F. and Kate Edelman Johnson Professor of Law
Stanford University

David Hunter, MBBS, MPH ScD
Vincent L. Gregory Professor in Cancer Prevention
Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition
Harvard University School of Public Health

Muin Khoury, MD, PhD
Director, Office of Genomics and Disease Prevention,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, GA

Kenneth Olden, PhD ScD
Chief of the Metastasis Section in the Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis at NIEHS and Yerby Visiting Professor at the Harvard School of Public Health
Former Director, National Toxicology Program and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

The Community Advisory Panel

The Community Advisory Panel (CAP) consists of 20 individuals who are committed to supporting the community outreach and education efforts of the Research Program. They all live within Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region and include Kaiser Permanente members and representatives of religious organizations, health advocacy groups, community and corporate philanthropic organizations, safety net providers, public health organizations, academic institutions, and local government.

CAP members held their first meeting in February 2006 and they meet quarterly. They are advising staff on community outreach plans, education, and materials development; helping us identify any concerns the community may have with the Research Program; and making recommendations on how we can address any concerns that are identified.

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

Medical Record Data – A Key Research Tool The use of medical record data in research is a longstanding practice that has led to important advances in medicine. Here are a few examples of recent discoveries made when researchers examined data from Kaiser Permanente medical records: Vioxx Warning – A study that examined the medical data for 1.39 million members found that high doses of the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx tripled the risks of heart attacks. As a result, Vioxx was pulled off the market. Obesity and Dementia – In a 27-year longitudinal study, researchers analyzed data for 10,000 members and found that obesity in middle age increases the risk of dementia in later life. Their findings also implied that loss of weight in middle age may have positive effects at the end of the life span as well. Coffee and Liver Disease – A study that followed the medical data of 125,000 health plan members found that those who drank more coffee were less likely to develop alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. This does not mean that people should go out and drink a lot of coffee with their alcohol. But it does give researchers important clues that could help them find new ways to protect the liver in the future. Health Care Costs – Researchers compared the medical record data of 157,000 Medicare + Choice beneficiaries who had a $1,000 annual drug cap in 2003 with 42,000 members who did not and found that spending on medications decreased, but overall costs were higher because of increased visits to the emergency department and non-elective hospitalizations.

The Division of Research     KaiserPermanente.org