Karen Sherman

Karen J. Sherman, PhD, MPH, is a senior scientific investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute and an affiliate professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health. An epidemiologist by training, her research interests include improving care for chronic pain, improving methods for complementary and integrative health (CIH) clinical trials, evaluating non-pharmacological therapies for common health problems, and building the evidence base for contextual factors related to care. She has led or participated in groundbreaking clinical trials of various non-pharmacological therapies for chronic low back pain, including acupuncture, massage, meditation, and yoga. Karen has conducted some of the earliest and largest studies of yoga for back pain. Author of more than 100 scientific papers, her work is widely cited and has contributed to the strength of evidence for the benefits of these therapies in treating chronic low back pain.