Meet Rachel Adler: Digital‑Health Innovator Transforming Cancer Survivorship

The Cancer Center at Illinois is a bustling tapestry of more than 130 researchers, each weaving their own thread into the fight against cancer. In our tenth "Get to Know a Cancer Researcher" spotlight, we sit down with Rachel Adler, an associate professor in the School of Information Sciences, whose work sits at the crossroads of computational engineering, data science, and patient‑centered care.

Rachel’s first encounter with cancer research wasn’t purely academic; it was deeply personal. While she was still an undergrad, her younger sister—then a college student herself—was diagnosed with leukemia. Watching her sister’s resilience sparked a fire in Rachel, one that later merged with her professional interests when she joined NIH‑funded U54 ChicagoCHEC grants aimed at cancer health equity.

Those grants asked her team to build mobile health apps for two very different audiences: Hispanic women battling breast cancer, and cancer survivors living with disabilities. The goal? Simple but powerful—reduce symptom burden, improve quality of life, and give patients tools they could carry in their pockets.

Today, Adler’s lab pushes the envelope even further. They’re designing an AI‑assisted digital coach that nudges cancer survivors toward regular physical activity while also bolstering cognitive function. Think of it as a friendly, data‑driven companion that tailors workouts and brain‑games to each person’s unique health profile.

When asked what fuels her perseverance, Rachel smiles and points to her students. "Their curiosity is contagious," she says. Watching them wrestle with a problem, then light up when a breakthrough clicks, is her daily dose of motivation. After a long day, she recharges by gathering around the family table, sharing jokes with her kids and sisters—one of whom is her identical twin.

Speaking of sisters, Rachel is one of five—yes, five! Growing up in a house full of siblings taught her the art of listening, a skill she now applies when designing user‑friendly health technologies.

Her literary tastes are just as eclectic as her research. As a teenager, she devoured Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and more recently she’s been fascinated by The Family Experiment by John Marrs, a speculative novel about virtual children in the metaverse. “It sparked some wild dinner‑table debates with my husband and kids,” she laughs.

Among her many achievements, Rachel feels most proud of her position at the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign, where she can marry her passions for accessibility, health, and design. The campus environment, she says, lets her turn lofty ideas into tangible tools that patients actually use.

The best piece of advice she ever received came from her mother—a computing professor herself—who reminded Rachel that “no path is off‑limits.” That encouragement still echoes in every grant proposal and prototype she builds, reinforcing her belief that women—and anyone who feels under‑represented—can thrive in tech.

Want to learn more or collaborate? Rachel can be reached at radler@illinois.edu. Stay tuned for the next installment of our weekly researcher series.