Health Systems and Population Health

Research Interests

Improving Colorectal Cancer Outcomes Across the Care Continuum

• Prevention and early detection strategies
• Improving colonoscopy completion after abnormal screening tests (FIT, stool DNA, blood-based tests)
• Patient-reported outcomes and experiences in screening, follow-up, and surveillance

Implementation Science & Health System Interventions

• Translating evidence-based cancer screening strategies into real-world practice
• Designing and implementing multilevel interventions addressing patient- and system-level barriers
• Health system innovations (navigation, mailed outreach, digital tools)

Bio

Dr. Rachel Issaka is a gastroenterologist, Associate Professor, and the Kathryn Surace-Smith Endowed Chair in Health Equity Research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC) and the University of Washington (UW). She is the Director of the FHCC/UW Medicine Population Health Colorectal Cancer Screening Program. As a health services researcher and implementation scientist, Dr. Issaka’s research focuses on improving outcomes across the colorectal cancer care continuum, including equitable access to cancer screening and follow-up of non-invasive screening tests.

Dr. Issaka’s research has been continuously funded by the NIH, including an R37 MERIT Award, as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the American College of Gastroenterology. She has published extensively in high-impact journals, with findings that inform health policy and clinical practice in both academic and community settings. Nationally, she has contributed to colorectal cancer guidelines through the CDC, NCCN, and NCCRT, and has advised the President’s Cancer Panel and the NIH COVID-19 Prevention Network. Beyond her scientific achievements, Dr. Issaka is a dedicated mentor and advocate, committed to developing the next generation of diverse physician-scientists and ensuring research addresses the needs of underserved populations.

Dr. Issaka completed her gastroenterology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco where she also earned a master’s in clinical research. She completed her internal medicine residency at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where she served as chief resident and obtained her medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School.

PUBLICATIONS

Education

MD University of Michigan, 2010
MAS Clinical Research, University of California (San Francisco), 2017
BA Biology, University of Wisconsin (Eau Claire), 2005

Academic Programs and Affiliations

• Health Promotion Research Center