Core EPC Researchers

 

Jennifer S. Lin, MD, MCR, FACP

Director, KP Evidence-based Practice Center
Distinguished Investigator

Dr. Lin is a practicing general internist and a recognized expert in systematic review methodology, evidence-based health care, and clinical prevention. She has been conducting work for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) since 2006, leading or collaborating on more than 40 systematic reviews and methods papers. Dr. Lin has also worked on methods consultation for other guideline groups, including the American College of Physicians (ACP), Kaiser Permanente National Guidelines, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

Elizabeth A. O'Connor, PhD

Co-Associate Director, KP Evidence-based Practice Center
Senior Investigator

Dr. O'Connor is a fellowship-trained clinical psychologist with over 30 years of research experience and strong expertise in data analysis and behavioral medicine. She also conducts statistical analyses for reviews and has experience in meta-analysis techniques as well as methods for analyzing rare events, diagnostic accuracy data, and graphical presentation of data. She primarily conducts systematic evidence reviews for the USPSTF and has experience creating evidence products for other organizations, such as the American Psychological Association, the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy.

 

Carrie D. Patnode, PhD, MPH

Co-Associate Director, KP Evidence-based Practice Center
Senior Investigator

Dr. Patnode is a behavioral epidemiologist whose research focuses on evidence synthesis and guideline development, primarily around complex behavioral interventions in clinical preventive services. She also works on methodologic research related to dissemination and implementation of evidence-based guidelines, assessing the risk of bias in individual studies in systematic reviews, rapid and living review procedures, using existing systematic reviews in evidence synthesis, and engaging decision makers and end-users of reviews.  She leads systematic reviews on behalf of the USPSTF and has experience creating evidence products for other organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Community Preventive Services Task Force, and Kaiser Permanente Care Management Institute.

 

Tracy L. Berntsen, MS

Project Director, KP Evidence-based Practice Center
Research Program Manager

Ms. Berntsen administers the KP EPC's portfolio of reviews to support the USPSTF and manages the work of the EPC-dedicated research associates and staff members, while overseeing all reviews to ensure consistency across products. Ms. Berntsen has over 20 years of experience working on systematic reviews and provides both scientific and managerial input as needed across reviews.

 

Michelle L. Eder, PhD

Research Associate

Dr. Eder is a medical anthropologist who serves as the Co-Director of the USPSTF Scientific Resource Center. She has led topic development and prioritization activities for the USPSTF since 2011 and previously led topic selection and development work for AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program. Dr. Eder also has over 18 years’ experience in evidence review activities, including systematic reviews, rapid reviews, and technical briefs for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF), Kaiser Permanente’s Care Management Institute (CMI), and the American Psychological Association (APA). Her recent methods development work for the USPSTF includes projects focused on shared decision making, social risk factors, and subpopulation considerations.

 

Jillian T. Henderson, PhD, MPH

Senior Investigator

Dr. Henderson is a health services researcher focused on improving preventive health care and pregnancy outcomes. She currently leads systematic reviews for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, serves as the Methodologist for the Cochrane Fertility Regulation Group in the Children and Families global network, and has contributed to a review for American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology clinical guidance and telehealth interventions.

 

Janelle M. Guirguis-Blake, MD

Affiliate Investigator

Dr. Guirguis-Blake is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington’s Department of Family Medicine where she practices and teaches full-scope family medicine. In her role as an Affiliate Investigator with the KP EPC, she leads and collaborates on systematic reviews and methods work for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

 

Core EPC Staff

  • Sarah I. Bean, MPH
    Research Associate II
  • Paula Blasi, MPH
    Senior Collaborative Scientist, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
  • Erin L. Coppola, MPH
    Research Associate II
  • Melinda C. Davies, MAIS
    Associate Research Informationist
  • Corinne V. Evans, MPP
    Research Associate III
  • Allea M. Martin, MPH
    Research Associate II
  • Leslie A. Perdue, MPH
    Research Associate III
  • Jill A. Pope, BA
    Senior Technical Writer/Editor
  • Nadia Redmond, MSPH
    Research Associate II
  • Caitlyn A. Senger, MPH
    Project Director
  • Elizabeth M. Webber, MS, MPP
    Research Associate III
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Affiliated Investigators - Kaiser Permanente

Stephen P. Fortmann, MD, Distinguished Investigator
Dr. Fortmann is an internist and epidemiologist whose main research interest is heart disease prevention. He has conducted population- and individual-level studies of cardiovascular risk factors and disease rates, smoking cessation, the influence of tobacco marketing on adolescent smoking, and exercise and diet change.

Eric S. Johnson, PhD, Senior Affiliate Investigator
Dr. Johnson, who has experience in the area of pharmacoepidemiology, conducts research describing prognosis in the usual care setting and the prediction of clinical events.

Erin S. LeBlanc, MD, Senior Investigator
Dr. LeBlanc is an epidemiologist and board-certified adult endocrinologist. Her research focuses on conditions that affect women, including menopause, obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, and vitamin D deficiency.

Frances L. Lynch, PhD, Distinguished Investigator
Dr. Lynch is a health economist whose research focuses on the organization and financing of care for people with mental health conditions. Her work has particularly focused on mental health and developmental conditions in children and the economic impact of these conditions on families. She has extensive experience conducting economic evaluations of complex behavioral interventions including interventions for depression and anxiety disorders.

Richard A. Mularski, MD, Distinguished Investigator
Dr. Mularski is an academic physician who leads research at CHR and practices pulmonary and critical care medicine at Northwest Permanente (NWP). He has expertise in research methodology, clinical trials, real-world comparative effectiveness research (CER), quality measurement and improvement, translating research into practice, and implementing evidence-based medicine in obstructive lung disease, dyspnea, palliative care, and end-of-life care.

Amanda Petrik, PhD, Investigator
Dr. Petrik, PhD, is a health services researcher with extensive training in social and health systems and policy. She has extensive experience conducting research and over a decade implementing and evaluating cancer prevention programs in diverse practice settings, including in community clinics. Her research now focuses on Learning Health Systems, cancer prevention, and the use of predictive analytics in cancer prevention. 

Kimberly K. Vesco, MD, Senior Investigator
Dr. Vesco is a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist and Kaiser Permanente physician with clinical experience caring for normal and high-risk pregnancies. She has broad research interests in women's health which include factors that may impact pregnancy outcomes, such as obesity, gestational diabetes and gestational weight gain, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of menopause-related symptoms.

 

Affiliated Investigators - Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI)

Jessica Chubak, PhD, is an epidemiologist working on cancer screening and survivorship. She led USPSTF reviews on aspirin for prevention of colorectal cancer and thyroid cancer screening.

John B. Dunn, MD, MPH, is a pediatrician and co-chair of immunization practices at Kaiser Permanente Washington. He was a co-lead of a USPSTF review on screening for dyslipidemia in children.

Nora B. Henrikson, PhD, is a geneticist and epidemiologist whose research focuses on the influences of health policy and costs on patient choices and experiences of clinical care. Dr. Henrikson has conducted reviews on genetic services, low-back pain, and nearly a dozen health technology assessments.

Paula Lozano, MD, MPH, is a pediatrician who co-led two USPSTF reviews on screening for dyslipidemia in children and childhood overweight.

Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPH, is a psychiatrist who researches mental health, obesity, health plan coverage for antidepressants, the impact of mood disorders in the workplace, and suicide risk. Dr. Simon is an associate editor in Cochrane Collaboration Depression and Anxiety Group, with a systematic review on adherence.

Karen J. Wernli, PhD, is an epidemiologist focusing on women's health and cancer at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. She led a USPSTF review on skin cancer screening.

 

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