Ellen O’Meara, PhD
“Our work in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium is to make notable contributions to understanding cancer risk, screening effectiveness, and how to ensure the best outcomes for women with breast cancer.”
Ellen O’Meara, PhD
Principal Collaborative Scientist, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Ellen.S.O'Meara@kp.org
206-287-2938
Biography
Ellen O’Meara, PhD, came to Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in 2009 with an array of scientific interests. The common thread across her more than two decades of research experience is studying the epidemiology of common diseases in adults, such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular disease.
Due to her strong interests in screening for disease and outcomes after diagnosis, Dr. O’Meara co-directs the Kaiser Permanente Washington-led Statistical Coordinating Center for the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium—a national network of breast imaging and breast cancer researchers. One of her goals is to find ways to optimize breast cancer screening—that is, to find the best balance of benefits and harms in subgroups of women based on their risks.
Dr. O’Meara’s other professional activities include memberships in the Society for Epidemiologic Research and the American Society of Preventive Oncology.
Research interests and experience
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Cancer
Cancer screening and surveillance; breast cancer
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Aging & Geriatrics
Dementia and cognition; age-related disability
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Cardiovascular Health
Stroke; heart disease
Recent publications
Kerlikowske K, Su YR, Sprague BL, Tosteson ANA, Buist DSM, Onega T, Henderson LM, Alsheik N, Bissell MCS, O'Meara ES, Lee CI, Miglioretti DL. Association of screening with digital breast tomosynthesis vs digital mammography with risk of interval invasive and advanced breast cancer. JAMA. 2022 Jun 14;327(22):2220-2230. doi: 10.1001/jama.2022.7672. PubMed
Ryser MD, Lange J, Inoue LYT, O'Meara ES, Gard C, Miglioretti DL, Bulliard JL, Brouwer AF, Hwang ES, Etzioni RB. Estimation of breast cancer overdiagnosis in a U.S. breast screening cohort. Ann Intern Med. 2022 Mar 1. doi: 10.7326/M21-3577. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Tuzzio L, O'Meara ES, Holden E, Parchman ML, Ralston JD, Powell JA, Baldwin LM. Barriers to implementing cardiovascular risk calculation in primary care: alignment with the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Am J Prev Med. 2021 Feb;60(2):250-257. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.07.027. Epub 2020 Dec 3. PubMed
Schousboe JT, Sprague BL, Abraham L, O'Meara ES, Onega T, Advani S, Henderson LM, Wernli KJ, Zhang D, Miglioretti DL, Braithwaite D, Kerlikowske K. Cost-effectiveness of screening mammography beyond age 75 years: a cost-effectiveness analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2022 Jan;175(1):11-19. doi: 10.7326/M20-8076. Epub 2021 Nov 23. PubMed
Zhang D, Abraham L, Sprague BL, Onega T, Advani S, Demb J, Miglioretti DL, Henderson LM, Wernli KJ, Walter LC, Kerlikowske K, Schousboe JT, Chrischilles E, Braithwaite D, O'Meara ES; Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. Mammography adherence in relation to function-related indicators in older women. PPrev Med. 2022 Jan;154:106869. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106869. Epub 2021 Nov 9. PubMed
Sprague BL, O'Meara ES, Lee CI, Lee JM, Henderson LM, Buist DSM, Alsheik N, Macarol T, Perry H, Tosteson ANA, Onega T, Kerlikowske K, Miglioretti DL. Prioritizing breast imaging services during the COVID pandemic: a survey of breast imaging facilities within the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. Prev Med. 2021 Oct;151:106540. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106540. Epub 2021 Jun 30. PubMed
Zhang D, Abraham L, Demb J, Miglioretti DL, Advani S, Sprague BL, Henderson LM, Onega T, Wernli KJ, Walter LC, Kerlikowske K, Schousboe JT, O'Meara ES, Braithwaite D. Function-related indicators and outcomes of screening mammography in older women: evidence from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium cohort. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2021 Aug;30(8):1582-1590. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-21-0152. Epub 2021 Jun 2. PubMed
Miglioretti DL, Bissell MCS, Kerlikowske K, Buist DSM, Cummings SR, Henderson LM, Onega T, O'Meara ES, Rauscher GH, Sprague BL, Tosteson ANA, Wernli KJ, Lee JM, Lee CI. Assessment of a risk-based approach for triaging mammography examinations during periods of reduced capacity. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(3):e211974. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.1974. PubMed
Lee CI, Zhu W, Onega T, Henderson LM, Kerlikowske K, Sprague BL, Rauscher GH, O'Meara ES, Tosteson ANA, Haas JS, diFlorio-Alexander R, Kaplan C, Miglioretti DL. Comparative Access to and Use of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Screening by Women's Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Feb 1;4(2):e2037546. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.37546. PubMed
Henderson LM, O'Meara ES, Haas JS, Lee CI, Kerlikowske K, Sprague BL, Alford-Teaster J, Onega T. The role of social determinants of health in self-reported access to health care among women undergoing screening mammography. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2020 May 5. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2019.8267. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Research
Roundup of 3 recent studies on breast cancer screening
New research spotlights overdiagnosis, MRI before surgery, and a new way of predicting breast cancer risk
VOICE STUDY
Understanding young adults’ experiences with cancer
The VOICE study aims to improve the health and health care of people who had cancer as adolescents and young adults.
Cancer screening
Catching breast cancers when mammograms are limited
New study calculates risk-based approach to detect the most cancers with the fewest exams.
News
Race, income, education affect access to 3D mammography
The technology’s potential benefits to detect breast cancer earlier are not equally shared among all women, researchers find.
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