Gaia Pocobelli, PhD

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“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

Knezevich SR, Barnhill RL, Elder DE, Piepkorn MW, Reisch LM, Pocobelli G, Carney PA, Elmore JG. Variability in mitotic figures in serial sections of thin melanomas. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014 Dec;71(6):1204-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2014.07.056. Epub 2014 Sep 16. PubMed

Pocobelli G, Newcomb PA, Li CI, Cook LS, Barlow WE, Weiss NS. Fatal breast cancer risk in relation to use of unopposed estrogen and combined hormone therapy. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2014 Jun;145(2):439-47. doi: 10.1007/s10549-014-2911-0. Epub 2014 Mar 27. PubMed

Hotaling JM, Walsh TJ, Macleod LC, Heckbert S, Pocobelli G, Wessells H, White E. Erectile dysfunction is not independently associated with cardiovascular death: data from the vitamins and lifestyle (VITAL) study. J Sex Med. 2012 Aug;9(8):2104-10. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02826.x. Epub 2012 Jul 3. PubMed

Chubak J, Yu O, Pocobelli G, Lamerato L, Webster J, Prout MN, Ulcickas Yood M, Barlow WE, Buist DS. Administrative data algorithms to identify second breast cancer events following early-stage invasiveĀ breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2012 Jun 20;104(12):931-40. Epub 2012 Apr 30. PubMed

Pocobelli G, Chubak J, Hanson N, Drescher C, Resta R, Urban N, Buist DS. Prophylactic oophorectomy rates in relation to a guideline update on referral to genetic counseling. Gynecol Oncol. 2012 Aug;126(2):229-35. Epub 2012 May 4. PubMed

Chubak J, Pocobelli G, Weiss NS. Tradeoffs between accuracy measures for electronic health care data algorithms. J Clin Epidemiol. 2012 Mar;65(3):343-9.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2011.09.002. Epub 2011 Dec 23. PubMed

Pocobelli G, Doherty JA, Voigt LF, Beresford SA, Hill DA, Chen C, Rossing MA, Holmes RS, Noor ZS, Weiss NS. Pregnancy history and risk of endometrial cancer. Epidemiology. 2011 Sep;22(5):638-45. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e3182263018. PubMed

Hotaling JM, Wright JL, Pocobelli G, Bhatti P, Porter MP, White E. J Urol. 2011 Apr;185(4):1210-5. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2010.11.081. Epub 2011 Feb 22. J Urol. 2011 Apr;185(4):1210-5. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2010.11.081. Epub 2011 Feb 22. PubMed

Berrington de Gonzalez A, Hartge P, Cerhan JR, Flint AJ, Hannan L, MacInnis RJ, Moore SC, Tobias GS, Anton-Culver H, Freeman LB, Beeson WL, Clipp SL, English DR, Folsom AR, Freedman DM, Giles G, Hakansson N, Henderson KD, Hoffman-Bolton J, Hoppin JA, Koenig KL, Lee IM, Linet MS, Park Y, Pocobelli G, Schatzkin A, Sesso HD, Weiderpass E, Willcox BJ, Wolk A, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Willett WC, Thun MJ. Body-mass index and mortality among 1.46 million white adults. N Engl J Med. 2010 Dec 2;363(23):2211-9. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1000367. PubMed

Pocobelli G, Kristal AR, Patterson RE, Potter JD, Lampe JW, Kolar A, Evans I, White E. Total mortality risk in relation to use of less-common dietary supplements. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jun;91(6):1791-800. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28639. Epub 2010 Apr 21. PubMed

 

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.

diabetes research

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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

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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.