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
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.
Jacobsen KK, Abraham L, Buist DS, Hubbard RA, O'Meara ES, Sprague BL, Kerlikowske K, Vejborg I, Von Euler-Chelpin M, Njor SH. Comparison of cumulative false-positive risk of screening mammography in the United States and Denmark. Cancer Epidemiol. 2015 May 23. pii: S1877-7821(15)00103-4. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2015.05.004. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Jacobsen KK, O'Meara ES, Key D, Buist DS, Kerlikowske K, Vejborg I, Sprague BL, Lynge E, von Euler-Chelpin M. Comparing sensitivity and specificity of screening mammography in the United States and Denmark. Int J Cancer. 2015 May 5. doi: 10.1002/ijc.29593. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Henderson LM, O’Meara ES, Braithwaite D, Onega T. Performance of digital screening mammography among older women in the United States. Cancer. 2015 May 1;121(9):1379-86. doi: 10.1002/cncr.29214. Epub 2014 Dec 23. PubMed
Johnson JM, Johnson AK, O'Meara ES, Miglioretti DL, Geller BM, Hotaling EN, Herschorn SD. Breast cancer detection with short-interval follow-up compared with return to annual screening in patients with benign stereotactic or us-guided breast biopsy results. Radiology. 2015 Apr;275(1):54-60. doi: 10.1148/radiol.14140036. Epub 2014 Nov 25. PubMed
Wernli KJ, O’Meara E, Kerlikowske K, Miglioretti D, Muller CY, Onega T, Sprague B, Henderson L, Buist DS. Investigation of mammographic breast density as a risk factor for ovarian cancer. J Nat Cancer Inst. 2014 Jan 1;106(1):djt341. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djt341. Epub 2013 Dec 5. PubMed
Research
Improving cancer prevention and early detection
How KPWHRI is contributing to better cancer screening and better outcomes for patients.
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.
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