Our immense research bank drives medical breakthroughs
The Kaiser Permanente Research Bank is one of the largest biobanks in the world. We use it to improve lives and transform health.
Recently approved KP Research Bank studies
Towards a More Personalized Approach to Weight Loss New weight loss drugs, including semaglutide (Ozempic; Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro; Zepbound), have revolutionized the treatment of obesity. However, while these drugs help many people lose a significant amount of weight, the…
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and genomics
(Based on NHGRI: https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/educational-resources/fact-sheets/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning-and-genomics) There are many definitions of artificial intelligence (AI). It is a technology that can be hard to explain or fully understand. But its value in the field of medicine keeps growing as we discover the many…
Interview with Robert Hufnagel, MD, PhD: KP Hawaii and KP Research Bank physician-scientist
When you talk with Dr. Rob Hufnagel, it feels like you’re talking with one of the friendliest and most down-to-earth people you’ve ever met. You wouldn’t expect that he’s a world-class physician-scientist who’s spent 8 years researching rare genetic eye…
Recently approved KP Research Bank studies
Polygenic risk for coronary heart disease — factors that might increase risk Drs. Carlos Iribarren and Jamal Rana, whose recently published study is described in this newsletter, are continuing their research in the area of polygenic risk scores and coronary…
Kaiser Permanente scientists find ways genomic risk scores may help identify patients at higher risk for heart disease
In recent newsletters we’ve discussed how polygenic risk scores could soon become a new tool to help physicians guide health care decisions for people from all backgrounds. Two Kaiser Permanente physician-scientists, Carlos Iribarren, MD, MPH, PhD, and Jamal Rana, MD,…
Meet Alex Lituev — the physician-scientist who directs the KP Research Bank Biorepository
Alex Lituev is a man of many diverse talents, skills, and interests. We are very fortunate that he is the director of the KP Research Bank Biorepository. Alex was born into a family that was far ahead of the STEM…
Recently Approved KP Research Bank Studies
Do shingles vaccines help prevent dementia? Scientists will examine whether getting a shingles vaccine lowers the risk of developing dementia. Scientific investigations in this area have shown that shingles vaccines might help prevent dementia, but those studies only used information…
The gut microbiome and the Kaiser Permanente Research Bank
Over the last two years, the blood and saliva samples provided by Kaiser Permanente (KP) Research Bank participants have been genotyped. Now that this work is complete, we will be adding gut microbiome information to the Research Bank. As a…
What’s next — Kaiser Permanente Research Bank genotyping and precision medicine
At the end of 2023, the Kaiser Permanente (KP) Research Bank achieved a milestone — it finished genotyping participants’ blood and saliva samples. Scientists using the KP Research Bank can use this genotyped data to address new research and clinical…
Approved KP Research Bank Studies
Cardiovascular health and telomere length: what does this mean and how does this affect the health of people who are lesbian, gay, and bisexual*? People who are lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) experience discrimination. This unjust treatment can be harmful…
Chuck McAvoy, longtime Kaiser Permanente Research Bank CAB and ARC member
Chuck McAvoy is a longtime Kaiser Permanente member and retired employee. Chuck is also one of the longest-standing members of the Kaiser Permanente Research Bank’s (KPRB) Community Advisory Board (CAB) and the Access Review Committee (ARC). The Research Bank’s Community…
Take a look at our newsletters
Learn about approved research projects using information from our Research Bank and other exciting updates about what's happening in health research.
What is Epigenetics?
Our genes are important for our health, but so are our behaviors and environments. Our behaviors and environments include what we eat and drink, if we smoke, how physically active we are, and where we live. The science of epigenetics…
Dr. Akinyemi Oni-Orisan: A Scientist Who Studies Clinical Pharmacy Care, Genomics, and the Importance of Racial Diversity
If you look at Dr. Oni-Orisan’s University of California San Francisco biography, you’ll find that he and his colleagues study treatments for cardiovascular disease using information from electronic health records. His long-term goal is to improve drug treatments for preventing…
Approved KP Research Bank Studies
Why are some women more likely to develop breast cancer in the 10 years after they have a baby? Scientists have identified many reasons why women get breast cancer. However, we don’t understand why, for some women, the risk of…
Study Finds Genetic Difference in COVID-19 Severity
Genetic differences help explain why some people who get COVID-19 need to be hospitalized and others have only mild symptoms Many factors affect how our bodies respond to viruses like the one that causes COVID-19. The virus strain (for example,…
Polygenic Risk Scores and Racial and Ethnic Diversity
As we wrote in our last KP Research Bank Newsletter, polygenic risk scores are a new way to estimate an individual's risks for certain diseases. Scientists use complex statistics and information about genetic differences in very large groups of people…
Approved KP Research Bank Studies
The following projects were recently approved to use KP Research Bank information.
Genetic Changes and Polygenic Risk Scores
Many people have an illness that is affected by changes in one or many of their genes. Researchers are studying these genetic changes, or “genomic variants,” to better understand the role that genetics play in health and disease. What is…
Using Research Bank Information to Improve Our Understanding of Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches affect about 12% of the U.S. population. People with migraines may have other symptoms like sensitivity to light, sound, nausea, and vomiting, and often have a family history of migraines. Migraines tend to affect women more than men…
Approved KP Research Bank Studies
The following projects were recently approved to use KP Research Bank information.
Cancer survivorship and the KP Research Bank
Improving cancer care for patients remains a high priority for Kaiser Permanente. Nearly 50,000 Kaiser Permanente members are diagnosed with cancer each year. The KP Research Bank has already supported important research to help identify how genetic and environmental factors…
COVID-19 Research Updates
Kaiser Permanente scientists are working to understand the various impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our lives using two important sources of information: 1) the KP Research Bank COVID-19 surveys that about 129,000 people completed last year; and 2) a…
Approved KP Research Bank Studies
The following projects were recently approved to use KP Research Bank information. Investigating the Risk of Endometrial Cancer Excess weight puts people at risk for certain cancers, and the number of people who get these cancers is going up, along…
Using information from the Research Bank to improve children’s health
Kaiser Permanente researchers are using information from our Research Bank for a National Institutes of Health study on how contact with chemicals during pregnancy may affect the risk of obesity and neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, in children. “This research…
Improving Diversity and Inclusion in the Kaiser Permanente Research Bank
In 2017, Kaiser Permanente Georgia research staff began work to increase the number of people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds joining our Research Bank. Increasing diversity is a core goal of the Research Bank so research findings can benefit…
Approved Research Bank Studies
We are happy to hear you enjoyed reading about Kaiser Permanente Research Bank projects and publications. We’ll continue to include project descriptions to keep everyone better informed. Studies that were approved in the last year to use our Research Bank…
Meet Chris Parker
A Conversation with Our National Community Advisory Board Member from Kaiser Permanente Georgia.
Improving Cancer Care by Participating in Research
Nearly 15.5 million cancer survivors are living in the U.S. today, and that number is expected to grow to more than 20 million by 2026. We’ve seen remarkable progress in the fight against cancer, but with the Kaiser Permanente Research…
What Kind of Health Research Does the Kaiser Permanente Research Bank Support?
Researchers use the Kaiser Permanente Research Bank to look at how genetic patterns, the environment, and health are connected. Here are a few areas of research that has used the Research Bank collection: Diabetes that develops during pregnancy Risk factors…
Genetic regions associated with corneal thickness identified by Kaiser Permanente researchers
Study offers insights into eye disease risk, particularly for African Americans.
Genetic underpinnings of near-sightedness identified in new research
Kaiser Permanente researchers and data were key part of study published in Nature Genetics.
Interview with Hélène Choquet, PhD, Kaiser Permanente Staff Scientist
Hélène Choquet is a staff scientist at Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research in Oakland, California. Hélène’s primary interests focus on human genetics, especially the genetics of vision disorders, including glaucoma, and response to its treatments. Glaucoma causes an increase in…
Pharmacogenomics – using genetic data to improve prescribing
Pharmacogenomics is a growing branch of genetic research that can draw on the resources of the KPRB. Pharmacogenomics can indicate how individuals’ genetic make-up may affect how they respond to certain medications. How might the KP Research Bank contribute to discoveries in this area of science?
How do patients’ genes affect their medication choice?
Kaiser Permanente study finds clues in the electronic medical record.
Meet KPRB recruiters at local events!
Are you interested in learning more about the KP Research Bank? Do you have friends or family who are KP members and might be interested in signing up to participate? There are multiple events happening all over the country where…
What Researchers and Soccer Players Have in Common
Imagine you are a recreational soccer player, and you move to a new town with no teams. You have no experience finding players or organizing teams, but spend months finding people who also want to play. When you finally…
Donating DNA to Benefit Future Generations: Research Bank Seeks Diversity
Growing up in Southern California’s Coachella Valley, a desert valley located southeast of Los Angeles, Alex Aldana saw firsthand how cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases affected those in his predominantly migrant Latino community. Aiming to make a difference in…
