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

Senior Research Associate, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute

Ellen.S.O'Meara@kp.org
206-287-2938

Curriculum vitae (CV)

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

Cancer

Cancer screening and surveillance; breast cancer
Aging & Geriatrics

Dementia and cognition; age-related disability
Cardiovascular Health

Stroke; heart disease

Recent publications

Demb J, Abraham L, Miglioretti DL, Sprague BL, O'Meara ES, Advani S, Henderson LM, Onega T, Buist DSM, Schousboe JT, Walter LC, Kerlikowske K, Braithwaite D. Screening mammography outcomes: risk of breast cancer and mortality by comorbidity score and age. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2019 Sep 6. pii: 5556084. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djz172. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Parchman ML, Anderson ML, Dorr DA, Fagnan LJ, O’Meara ES, Tuzzio L, Penfold RB, Cook AJ, Hummel J, Conway C, Cholan R, Baldwin LM. A randomized trial of external practice support to improve cardiovascular risk factors in primary care. Ann Fam Med. 2019 Aug 12;17(Suppl 1):S40-S49. doi: 10.1370/afm.2407. PubMed

Kerlikowske K, Sprague BL, Tosteson ANA, Wernli KJ, Rauscher GH, Johnson D, Buist DSM, Onega T, Henderson LM, O'Meara ES, Miglioretti DL. Strategies to identify women at high risk of advanced breast cancer during routine screening for discussion of supplemental imaging. JAMA Intern Med. 2019 Jul 1. pii: 2737320. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.1758. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

White AJ, Weinberg CR, O'Meara ES, Sandler DP, Sprague BL. Airborne metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in relation to mammographic breast density. Breast Cancer Res. 2019;21(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s13058-019-1110-7. PubMed

Lee CI, Zhu W, Onega TL, Germino J, O’Meara ES, Lehman CD, Henderson LM, Haas JS, Kerlikowske K, Sprague BL, Rauscher GH, Tosteson ANA, Alford-Teaster J, Wernli KJ, Miglioretti DL. The effect of digital breast tomosynthesis adoption on facility-level breast cancer screening volume. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2018 Nov;211(5):957-963. Epub 2018 Sep 20.

Buist DSM, Abraham L, Lee CI, Lee JM, Lehman C, O'Meara ES, Stout NK, Henderson LM, Hill D, Wernli KJ, Haas JS, Tosteson ANA, Kerlikowske K, Onega T. Breast biopsy intensity and findings following breast cancer screening in women with and without a personal history of breast cancer. JAMA Intern Med. 2018 Feb 12. pii: 2672204. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.8549. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Miles R, Wan F, Onega TL, Lenderink-Carpenter A, O'Meara ES, Zhu W, Henderson LM, Haas JS, Hill DA, Tosteson ANA, Wernli KJ, Alford-Teaster J, Lee JM, Lehman CD, Lee CI. Underutilization of supplemental magnetic resonance imaging screening among patients at high breast cancer risk. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2018 Jan 17. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2017.6623. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Hubbard RA, O'Meara ES, Henderson LM, Hill D, Braithwaite D, Haas JS, Lee CI, Sprague BL, Alford-Teaster J, Tosteson AN, Wernli KJ, Onega T. Multilevel factors associated with long-term adherence to screening mammography in older women in the U.S. Prev Med. 2016 Aug;89:169-77. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.05.034. Epub 2016 May 31. PubMed

Cushman M, O'Meara ES, Heckbert SR, Zakai NA, Rosamond W, Folsom AR. Body size measures, hemostatic and inflammatory markers and risk of venous thrombosis: the longitudinal investigation of thromboembolism etiology. Thromb Res. 2016 Jun 15;144:127-132. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2016.06.012. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Nelson HD, O'Meara ES, Kerlikowske K, Balch S, Miglioretti DL. Factors affecting the rates and consequences of false positive and false negative digital mammography screening exams: an analysis of registry data. Ann Intern Med. 2016 Feb 16;164(4):226-35. doi: 10.7326/M15-0971. Epub 2016 Jan 12.