Jessica Chubak, PhD
“My research focuses on improving cancer control by finding effective ways to get screened for cancer and to navigate treatment and survivorship.”
Jessica Chubak, PhD
Senior Investigator, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Jessica.Chubak@kp.org
206-287-2556
Animal-assisted interactions research on Facebook
Biography
Jessica Chubak, PhD, is an epidemiologist who works to improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, control, and survivorship. She contributes to several national collaborations that are finding practical, efficient, effective ways to screen for cancer, especially colorectal cancer. She also studies how common medications affect cancer risk and recurrence. Intrigued by how pets positively affect health, Dr. Chubak is studying animal-assisted activities in clinics and hospitals where children get treated for cancer. Dr. Chubak’s methodological research focuses on the use of administrative and electronic health record data in epidemiologic and health services studies.
Dr. Chubak joined KPWHRI in 2007, bringing expertise in epidemiologic methods, pharmacoepidemiology, and cancer. Awarded a Fulbright graduate student grant, Dr. Chubak pursued her master's degree in bioethics and health law in New Zealand before completing her PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Washington (UW). Dr. Chubak is an affiliate associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UW School of Public Health, where she enjoys guest-lecturing and getting to work with students.
Research interests and experience
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Cancer
Epidemiology; colorectal cancer; medication use; survivorship; recurrence; secondary prevention; quality of life; automated data collection; screening; animal-assisted activities; survivorship
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Health Services & Economics
Screening
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Medication Use & Patient Safety
Cancer risk and use of common medications
Recent publications
Haas JS, Todd KW, Mclerran D, Tiro JA, Vachani A, Kobrin S, Saia C, Sugg Skinner C, Zheng Y, Chubak J, Corley DA, Greenlee RT, Halm EA, Li CI. Gaps in care across the cancer screening continuum for cervical, colorectal and lung cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2025 Sep 10:djaf248. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djaf248 [Epub ahead of print] PubMed
Pocobelli G, Lykken J, Haas JS, Tiro J, Doria-Rose VP, Hyun N, Silver MI, Kamineni A, Chubak J. Positive predictive value of cervical cancer screening results recommended for colposcopy by human papillomavirus vaccination status at 3 U.S. healthcare systems. Cancer Causes Control. 2025 Aug 6. doi: 10.1007/s10552-025-02039-7 [Epub ahead of print] PubMed
Abrahão R, Ruddy KJ, Laurent CA, Chubak J, Haupt EC, Brunson AM, Hahn EE, Chao CR, Moy LM, Wun T, Kushi LH, Keegan THM, Sauder CAM. Trastuzumab therapy and new-onset hypertension in adolescents and young adults with breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2025 Aug;213(1):81-92. doi: 10.1007/s10549-025-07760-0. Epub 2025 Jun 27. PubMed
Hahn EE, Haupt EC, Chawla N, Osuji TA, Shen E, Smitherman AB, Casperson M, Kirchhoff AC, Zebrack BJ, Laurent CA, Keegan THM, Abrahão R, Ruddy KJ, Chubak J, Nichols HB, Wernli KJ. Transitions within and use of outpatient primary and oncology care in survivors of adolescent and young adult-onset cancers. JCO Oncol Pract. 2025 Jun 20:OP2400886. doi: 10.1200/OP-24-00886 [Epub ahead of print] PubMed
Clark CR, Lykken JM, Chen PM, Haas JS, Feldman S, Ahn C, Gu CA, Kobrin S, Silver MI, Atlas SJ, Chubak J, Tiro JA. Barriers to the equitable implementation of risk-based cervical cancer management guidelines. J Gen Intern Med. 2025 May 30. doi: 10.1007/s11606-025-09611-6. Online ahead of print. PubMed
Lee JK, Jensen CD, Merchant SA, Chubak J, Halm EA, Corley DA; National Cancer Institute’s PROSPR Consortium. Adverse events after surveillance colonoscopy in older adults in a large integrated health system in the United States. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2025 May 17:S1542-3565(25)00421-5. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2025.03.028. Online ahead of print. PubMed
Tiro JA, Lykken JM, Chen PM, Clark CR, Kobrin S, Chubak J, Feldman S, Werner C, Atlas SJ, Silver MI, Haas JS. Delivering guideline-concordant care for patients with high-risk HPV and normal cytologic findings. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(1):e2454969. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.54969. PubMed
Research
Study measures risks of screening colonoscopies for older adults
The findings can help guide colorectal cancer screening decisions later in life.
Research
Study sheds light on needs of young people with cancer
Understanding emergency department use among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors can help address care gaps.
Research
Improving cancer prevention and early detection
How KPWHRI is contributing to better cancer screening and better outcomes for patients.
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