Jessica Chubak, PhD

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“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

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

 

Recent publications

Chubak J, Yu O, Ziebell RA, Bowles EJA, Sterrett AT, Fujii MM, Boggs JM, Burnett-Hartman AN, Boudreau DM, Chen L, Floyd JS, Ritzwoller DP, Hubbard RA. Risk of colon cancer recurrence in relation to diabetes. Cancer Causes Control. 2018 Sep 22. pii: 10.1007/s10552-018-1083-3. doi: 10.1007/s10552-018-1083-3. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Singal AG, Corley DA, Kamineni A, Garcia M, Zheng Y, Doria-Rose PV, Quinn VP, Jensen CD, Chubak J, Tiro J, Doubeni CA, Ghai NR, Skinner CS, Wernli K, Halm EA. Patterns and predictors of repeat fecal immunochemical and occult blood test screening in four large health care systems in the United States. 2018 May;113(5):746-754. doi: 10.1038/s41395-018-0023-x. Epub 2018 Feb 27. PubMed

Jones SMW, Walker R, Fujii M, Nekhlyudov L, Rabin BA, Chubak J. Financial difficulty, worry about affording care, and benefit finding in long-term survivors of cancer. Psychooncology. 2018 Apr;27(4):1320-1326. doi: 10.1002/pon.4677. Epub 2018 Mar 8. PubMed

Chen L, Chubak J, Boudreau DM, Barlow WE, Weiss NS, Li CI. Diabetes treatments and risks of adverse breast cancer outcomes among early stage breast cancer patients: a SEER-Medicare analysis. Cancer Res. 2017 Nov 1;77(21):6033-6041. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-17-0687. Epub 2017 Sep 21. PubMed

Chen L, Chubak J, Boudreau DM, Barlow WE, Weiss NS, Li CI. Use of antihypertensive medications and risk of adverse breast cancer outcomes in a SEER-Medicare population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017 Nov;26(11):1603-1610. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-17-0346. Epub 2017 Aug 14. PubMed

Green BB, Anderson ML, Cook AJ, Chubak J, Fuller S, Meenan RT, Vernon SW. A centralized mailed program with stepped increases of support increases time in compliance with colorectal cancer screening guidelines over 5 years: a randomized trial. Cancer. 2017 Nov 15;123(22):4472-4480. doi: 10.1002/cncr.30908. Epub 2017 Jul 28. PubMed

Chubak J, Hawkes R, Dudzik C, Foose-Foster JM, Eaton L, Johnson RH, Macpherson CF. Pilot study of therapy dog visits for inpatient youth with cancer. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2017 Sep/Oct;34(5):331-341. doi: 10.1177/1043454217712983. Epub 2017 Jun 14. PubMed

 

Research

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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

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Improving cancer prevention and early detection

How KPWHRI is contributing to better cancer screening and better outcomes for patients.

Research

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How did the pandemic impact hospital visits with animals?

Top pediatric oncology hospitals reported lasting changes to programs involving visits with animals.