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
-
Cancer
Cancer screening and surveillance; breast cancer
-
Aging & Geriatrics
Dementia and cognition; age-related disability
-
Cardiovascular Health
Stroke; heart disease
Recent publications
Lange JM, Gard CC, O'Meara ES, Miglioretti DL, Etzioni R. Breast density and risk of breast cancer: Masking and detection bias. Am J Epidemiol. 2024 Aug 3:kwae245. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwae245. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Sprague BL, Ichikawa L, Eavey J, Lowry KP, Rauscher GH, O'Meara ES, Miglioretti DL, Lee JM, Stout NK, Herschorn SD, Perry H, Weaver DL, Kerlikowske K. Performance of supplemental US screening in women with dense breasts and varying breast cancer risk: Results from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. Radiology. 2024 Aug;312(2):e232380. doi: 10.1148/radiol.232380. PubMed
Trentham-Dietz A, Chapman CH, Jayasekera J, Lowry KP, Heckman-Stoddard BM, Hampton JM, Caswell-Jin JL, Gangnon RE, Lu Y, Huang H, Stein S, Sun L, Gil Quessep EJ, Yang Y, Lu Y, Song J, Muñoz DF, Li Y, Kurian AW, Kerlikowske K, O'Meara ES, Sprague BL, Tosteson ANA, Feuer EJ, Berry D, Plevritis SK, Huang X, de Koning HJ, van Ravesteyn NT, Lee SJ, Alagoz O, Schechter CB, Stout NK, Miglioretti DL, Mandelblatt JS. Collaborative modeling to compare different breast cancer screening strategies: A decision analysis for the US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA. 2024;331(22):1947-60. Epub 20240430. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.24766. PubMed
Mandelblatt JS, Schechter CB, Stout NK, Huang H, Stein S, Hunter Chapman C, Trentham-Dietz A, Jayasekera J, Gangnon RE, Hampton JM, Abraham L, O'Meara ES, Sheppard VB, Lee SJ. Population simulation modeling of disparities in US breast cancer mortality. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2023;2023(62):178-187. doi: 10.1093/jncimonographs/lgad023. PubMed
Kerlikowske K, Zhu W, Su YR, Sprague BL, Stout NK, Onega T, O'Meara ES, Henderson LM, Tosteson ANA, Wernli K, Miglioretti DL. Supplemental magnetic resonance imaging plus mammography compared with magnetic resonance imaging or mammography by extent of breast density. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2023 Oct 27:djad201. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djad201. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Gard CC, Lange J, Miglioretti DL, O'Meara ES, Lee CI, Etzioni R. Risk of cancer versus risk of cancer diagnosis? Accounting for diagnostic bias in predictions of breast cancer risk by race and ethnicity. J Med Screen. 2023 Jun 12;9691413231180028. doi: 10.1177/09691413231180028. PubMed
Sprague BL, Ichikawa L, Eavey J, Lowry KP, Rauscher G, O'Meara ES, Miglioretti DL, Chen S, Lee JM, Stout NK, Mandelblatt JS, Alsheik N, Herschorn SD, Perry H, Weaver DL, Kerlikowske K. Breast cancer risk characteristics of women undergoing whole-breast ultrasound screening versus mammography alone. Cancer. 2023 Aug 15;129(16):2456-2468. doi: 10.1002/cncr.34768. Epub 2023 Jun 12. PubMed
Nichols H, Wernli KJ, Chawla N, O’Meara ES, Figueroa Gray M, Green LE, Baggett CD, Casperson M, Chao C, Jones SM, Kirchhoff AC, Kuo T, Lee C , Malogolowkin M, Quesenberry CP, Ruddy KJ, Wun T, Zebrack B, Chubak J, Hahn EE, Keegan TH, Kushi LH. Challenges and opportunities of epidemiological studies to reduce the burden of cancers in young adults. Curr Epidemiol Rep. 2023 Sep;10(3):115-124. doi: 10.1007/s40471-022-00286-9. Epub 2022 Mar 29. PubMed
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
News
Predicting breast cancer risk after a high-risk benign lesion diagnosis
New study will develop risk models to improve clinical guidelines and practice.
News
New study: Analysis supports new recommendation to begin mammogram screening at 40
KPWHRI part of multi-site research team.
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
Land Acknowledgment
Our Seattle offices sit on the occupied land of the Duwamish and by the shared waters of the Coast Salish people, who have been here thousands of years and remain. Learn about practicing land acknowledgment.