麻豆传媒

Dr. Rachel Issaka is a gastroenterologist and clinical researcher focused on decreasing the mortality associated with colorectal cancer, with a special focus on medically underserved populations. Dr. Issaka鈥檚 research includes identifying, measuring and recommending new and improved approaches to screening and follow-up both in Seattle and across the U.S.

The roots of Dr. Issaka鈥檚 research lie in a tale of two clinics. The first was at Northwestern University鈥檚 McGaw Medical Center, a few blocks from Chicago鈥檚 glittering 鈥淢agnificent Mile鈥� commercial district. The second was at a federally qualified health center on the city鈥檚 South Side, several miles and another world away.

Issaka worked at both clinics early in her medical career. She soon noticed a striking difference between the two. Her mostly white, middle- to upper-class patients at Northwestern faithfully followed whatever the doctor ordered. That included getting screened for colorectal cancer, the second-deadliest cancer in the U.S.

But it was different on the South Side. Her mostly African-American and Latino patients there, when encouraged to schedule screening for colorectal cancer, often declined.

Why?

Issaka has never stopped asking why disparities exist and how to achieve health equity in colorectal cancer screening. The questions aren鈥檛 academic. Screening can prevent colorectal cancer by detecting and simultaneously removing precancerous polyps, small lesions that over time can grow and become cancerous.

But despite clear evidence that screening for colorectal cancer saves lives, rates aren鈥檛 where they should be. The screening goal for the U.S. population, according to the American Cancer Society and National Colorectal Cancer Round Table, is 80 percent. The actual rate is about 63 percent across all populations, with even lower rates among racial minorities and those of lower socioeconomic status.

Closing that gap, Issaka noted, could save 200,000 lives over the next 20 years. And it could lessen the socioeconomic inequalities that linger 鈥� or stubbornly grow 鈥� in cancer care and mortality.

鈥淪creening is a way to not only prevent disease but reduce racial and economic disparities,鈥� said Issaka, who is on the faculty of the Hutch鈥檚 Clinical Research Division and the Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research, which is based in the Public Health Sciences Division. 鈥淲e need to close that gap so that every citizen can benefit from the advances in cancer care and prevention.鈥�

The human body is teeming with internal fauna. There are an estimated 10鈥�100 trillion additional cells in this mass of microbes 鈥� roughly equal to the number of human cells in our bodies 鈥� and they are found everywhere, including the breast. Sharma will focus on one such microbe, Bacteroides fragilis, the presence of which in the breast, gut and mammary tissue is linked to a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer.

Mr. Barnes is the Assistant Director of the NJ Gun Violence Research Center (GVRC) and Associate Professor at RU-SPH, Urban Global Public Health. He brings a wealth of practical experience to the GVRC and the School of Public Health, from years in government to the private sector and ministry. Mr. Barnes served in a senior role while working in the NJ Assembly Office. As Chief of Staff to the Assembly Majority Leader, Bonnie Watson Coleman (currently, Congresswoman NJ-12th District), he led her statewide campaign on criminal justice reform and authored an extensive package of bills that was hailed by the New York Times as a model for the country. The legislation sought to make common sense changes like allowing those incarcerated access to educational programs to achieve their high school diploma and provide those released from prison with their medical records. At the start of the 2010 legislative session, incoming Speaker, Sheila Y. Oliver, asked Mr. Barnes to serve as her Chief of Staff.

He worked collaboratively to enact multiple legislative proposals on behalf of the Speaker by monitoring national trends and culling bi-partisan and stakeholder support. He admirably served the Speaker and the majority caucus before transitioning to the private sector. As Area Director, Government Affairs, for a major cable and telecommunications company headquartered in New York, he was responsible for all federal, state, and local lobbying efforts within New Jersey. He supervised internal and external teams of consultants to best position the business interest of the company with regulators, elected officials, and the communities within the company鈥檚 franchise area. After several successful years spearheading the company鈥檚 government affairs strategy, Mr. Barnes resigned to enroll at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he pursued a Master of Divinity. While attending seminary, he served as Chaplain at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, where he provided pastoral care to victims of interpersonal violence and their families. Mr. Barnes witnessed firsthand the devastation gun violence can have on the individual, family, and community.

At the conclusion of his studies in seminary, the Lieutenant Governor of NJ/Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), Sheila Y. Oliver, asked Mr. Barnes to join the Commissioner鈥檚 Office as Director of Policy and External Affairs. In this role, he was the point of contact for all elected officials and their staffs; provided the department鈥檚 feedback to the Governor鈥檚 Office on pending legislation; and worked closing with community facing organizations and stakeholders to administer Community Service Block Grants. Mr. Barnes remains well-respected in New Jersey鈥檚 political and policy circles, having forged relationships on both sides of the aisle as well as with key community-based organizations and stakeholders.

Research Interests:
Mr. Barnes鈥� will supervise the research focus of the GVRC to ensure our mission to become a center for excellence in programmatic research on gun violence. Mr. Barnes will work to ensure the research produced is translated for diverse audiences with an emphasis on the racial disparities associated with everyday gun violence. His longstanding relationships with municipalities, stakeholders, and the faith-based community will be instrumental to GVRC鈥檚 plan for civic engagement and the overall success of our research. Mr. Barnes鈥� will pursue areas of academic interests like the intersection of Black voices in public health鈥攐ften discounted or overlooked鈥攚ith an emphasis on historical figures with a tangible connection to faith and/or faith-based communities. An ecumenical and interfaith approach to examining these voices will allow a holistic understanding of the history of public health advocacy, or public health justice, with a focal point on the foundational work championed by resilient men and women of color.