Laura E. Ichikawa, MS
"KPWHRI provides a great opportunity to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and provide biostatistical support to improve patient health."
Laura E. Ichikawa, MS
Principal Collaborative Biostatistician, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Biography
With more than 25 years at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI), Laura Ichikawa, MS, is known for her analytical skills, attention to detail regarding study design and data management, and knowledge in data visualization. Her experience includes observational studies, randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, and multisite analyses.
Laura is primarily focused on cancer research and women’s health. She’s has been involved with the Statistical Coordinating Center for the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC), funded by the National Cancer Institute. She leads both data management activities and statistical analyses for the BCSC, where much of her work has been evaluating mammography performance for both screening and surveillance while also examining use of screening MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and ultrasound. Laura also participated in collaborative research through the Cancer Research Network, including a widely publicized 2004 study that linked not having screening mammograms to late-stage breast cancer and, more recently, the Population-based Research to Optimize the Screening Process (PROSPR) project focusing on colorectal cancer screening. She is excited to continue her work in cancer research, including in screening, treatment, surveillance, and survival.
Laura’s earlier research with retired KPWHRI Senior Investigator Delia Scholes, PhD, included studies examining bone loss associated with the injectable hormonal contraceptive Depo-Provera in 2002 and 2005 and oral contraceptives in 2011.
Laura is a member of the American Statistical Association and its Puget Sound chapter.
Research interests and experience
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Biostatistics
Longitudinal data analysis
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Cancer
Biostatistics; breast cancer
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Women's Health
Biostatistics; hormonal contraception and bone density
Recent publications
Scholes D, Ichikawa L, LaCroix AZ, Spangler L, Beasley JM, Reed S, Ott SM. Oral contraceptive use and bone density in adolescent and young adult women. Contraception. 2010;81(1):35-40. PubMed
Sherman KJ, Hawkes RJ, Ichikawa L, Cherkin DC, Deyo RA, Avins AL, Khalsa PS. Comparing recruitment strategies in a study of acupuncture for chronic back pain. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2009;9(1):69. PubMed
Sherman KJ, Cherkin DC, Ichikawa L, Avins AL, Barlow WE, Khalsa PS, Deyo RA. Characteristics of patients with chronic back pain who benefit from acupuncture. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2009;10(1):114. PubMed
Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, Avins AL, Erro JH, Ichikawa L, Barlow WE, Delaney K, Hawkes R, Hamilton L, Pressman A, Khalsa PS, Deyo RA. A randomized trial comparing acupuncture, simulated acupuncture, and usual care for chronic low back pain. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(9):858-66. PubMed
Arterburn D, Ichikawa L, Ludman E, Operskalski B, Linde J, Anderson E, Rohde P, Jeffery R, Simon G. Validity of clinical body weight measures as substitutes for missing data in a randomized trial. Obesity Research and Clinical Practice. 2008;10(4):277-81. PubMed
Ott SM, Ichikawa LE, LaCroix AZ, Scholes D. Navel jewelry artifacts and intravertebral variation in spine bone densitometry in adolescents and young women. J Clin Densitom. 2009 Jan-Mar;12(1):84-8. Epub 2008 Nov 5. PubMed
Rohde P, Ichikawa L, Simon GE, Ludman EJ, Linde JA, Jeffery RW, Operskalski BH. Associations of child sexual and physical abuse with obesity and depression in middle-aged women. Child Abuse Negl. 2008;32(9):878-87. Epub 2008 Oct 22. PubMed
Jeffery RW, Linde JA, Simon GE, Ludman EJ, Rohde P, Ichikawa LE, Finch EA. Reported food choices in older women in relation to BMI and depressive symptoms. Appetite. 2009 Feb;52(1):238-40. Epub 2008 Aug 28. PubMed
Ott SM, Lacroix AZ, Scholes D, Ichikawa LE, Wu K. Effects of three years of low-dose thiazides on mineral metabolism in healthy elderly persons. Osteoporos Int. 2008;19(9):1315-22. Epub 2008 Apr 19. PubMed
Tice JA, Cummings SR, Smith-Bindman R, Ichikawa L, Barlow WE, Kerlikowske K. Using clinical factors and mammographic breast density to estimate breast cancer risk: development and validation of a new predictive model. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148(5):337-47. PubMed
Research
Study measures risks of screening colonoscopies for older adults
The findings can help guide colorectal cancer screening decisions later in life.
Research
IUD perforation: Rare but important to know about
New study results in more precise language in the federally mandated warning about this possibility.
cancer research
Using breast MRI after cancer may lead to unneeded biopsies
A Kaiser Permanente-led BCSC study is among the largest ever to evaluate adding MRI surveillance for breast cancer survivors.
cancer screening
No need to follow up simple ovarian cysts
New KPWHRI study shows that women with simple cysts are not at increased risk of ovarian cancer.
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