Gaia Pocobelli, PhD

Pocobelli_Gaia__205x293.jpg

“I provide epidemiological support for KPWHRI research projects in the areas of cancer epidemiology and perinatal epidemiology, with a focus on the risks and benefits of medication use.”

Gaia Pocobelli, PhD

Senior Collaborative Scientist, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute

Biography

Gaia Pocobelli, PhD, is passionate about providing rigorous epidemiological support for KPWHRI research projects in the areas of cancer epidemiology and perinatal epidemiology, with a focus on medication safety.

Dr. Pocobelli completed her doctoral work in epidemiology at the University of Washington. Her dissertation research was on menopausal hormone therapy and breast cancer mortality. As a doctoral student research associate she worked on a variety of cancer epidemiology studies at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and at Kaiser Permanente Washington with Dr. Jessica Chubak. After her doctoral work, she honed her skills in the area of perinatal epidemiology and medication safety during pregnancy as a National Institutes of Health Reproductive, Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington, working in part with Dr. Sascha Dublin of Kaiser Permanente.

Research interests and experience

  • Cancer

    Risk factors and survivorship

  • Women's Health

    Menopausal hormone therapy and perinatal epidemiology

  • Medication Use & Patient Safety

    Pharmacoepidemiology studies of cancer risk and medication safety in pregnancy

 

Recent publications

Check DK, Hutcheson KA, Poisson LM, Pocobelli G, Sakoda LC, Zaveri J, Chang SS, Chubak J. Factors associated with employment discontinuation among older and working age survivors of oropharyngeal cancer. Head Neck. 2019 Sep 6. doi: 10.1002/hed.25943. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Pocobelli G, Ziebell R, Fujii M, Hutcheson KA, Chang S, McClure JB, Chubak J. Symptom burden in long-term survivors of head and neck cancer: patient-reported versus clinical data.  EGEMS (Wash DC). 2019;7(1):25. doi: 10.5334/egems.271.  PubMed

Pocobelli G, Dublin S. In Reply. Obstet Gynecol. 2019;133(2):383-384. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003094.  PubMed

Pocobelli G, Yu O, Ziebell RA, Aiello Bowles EJ, Fujii MM, Sterrett AT, Boggs JM, Chen L, Boudreau DM, Ritzwoller DP, Hubbard RA, Chubak J. Use of antidepressants after colon cancer diagnosis and risk of recurrence. Psycho-oncology. 2019 Jan 31. doi: 10.1002/pon.5015. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Chen L, Pocobelli G, Yu O, Shortreed SM, Osmundson SS, Fuller S, Wartko PD, McCulloch D, Warwick S, Newton KM, Dublin S. Early pregnancy hemoglobin A1C and pregnancy outcomes: a population-based study. Am J Perinatol. 2018 Nov 30. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1675619. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Pocobelli G, Yu O, Fuller S, Fraser JR, Wartko P, Chen L, Newton K, Dimer J, McCulloch D, Warwick S, Dublin S. One-step approach to identifying gestational diabetes mellitus: association with perinatal outcomes. Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Aug 17. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000002780. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Wernli KJ, Henrikson NB, Morrison CC, Nguyen M, Pocobelli G, Blasi PR. Screening for skin cancer in adults: updated evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA.2016;316(4):436-447. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.5415. PubMed

Pocobelli G, Dublin S, Enquobahrie DA, Mueller BA. Birth weight and birth weight for gestational age in relation to risk of hospitalization with primary hypertension in children and young adults.  Matern Child Health J. 2016 Jul;20(7):1415-23. doi: 10.1007/s10995-016-1939-7. PubMed

Seidel JE, Beck CA, Pocobelli G, Lemaire JB, Bugar JM, Quan H, Ghali WA. Location of residence associated with the likelihood of patient visit to the preoperative assessment clinic. BMC Health Serv Res. 2006 Feb 22;6:13.doi:10.1186/1472-6963-6-13. PubMed

Pocobelli G, Weiss NS. Breast cancer mortality in relation to receipt of screening mammography: a case-control study in Saskatchewan, Canada. Cancer Causes Control. 2015 Feb;26(2):231-7. doi: 10.1007/s10552-014-0503-2. Epub 2014 Dec 4. PubMed

 

Research

Animal-care-giver_service-dog_with-patient_1col.jpg

How did the pandemic impact hospital visits with animals?

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

diabetes research

pregnant-women-diabetes-Dublin_1col.jpg

How do we screen for gestational diabetes?

In our learning health system, we discovered that a new screening approach had increased diagnoses without improving overall outcomes. So remarkably, we switched back.

medication safety

Arterburn-blog-weight-loss-drugs_1col.jpg

Using phentermine for weight loss longer term found to be safe, effective

Dr. David Arterburn discusses reassuring news from his PCORnet study of the most widely used anti-obesity drug in the United States.