Research Summary

Rebecca Smith-Bindman, MD, is a Professor in Residence of Radiology, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Smith–Bindman directs the Radiology Outcomes Research Laboratory. She provides her expertise in the diagnosis of fetal anomalies, the evaluation of patients with symptoms of vaginal bleeding, and helps to understand efficient ways to evaluate a range of symptoms to minimize unnecessary and excessive testing while maximizing accurate diagnoses. Dr. Smith-Bindman received her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco in 1991, and completed her residency in Radiology at UCSF in 1996, followed by a fellowship in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSF in 1998.

Dr. Smith-Bindman’s research continues to concentrate on understanding the impact of diagnostic testing on important patient outcomes and understanding the difference in access to different tests and variance in accuracy of these tests. Present research projects are assessing the risk of cancer associated with incidental findings identified on ultrasound and CT imaging, and assessing patterns of radiation from diagnostic imaging.

Dr. Smith-Bindman has 68 peer-reviewed articles. In many of her studies, she was responsible for the design, data collection, analysis, manuscript preparation, and dissemination of the results. A few of her significant articles have been covered by extensive media coverage such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Research Funding

  • March 1, 2015 - May 31, 2020 - Risk of Pediatric and Adolescent Cancer Associated with Medical Imaging, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NCI, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA185687
  • September 12, 2014 - December 31, 2019 - CT DOSE Collaboratory, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NCI, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA181191
  • September 19, 2008 - June 30, 2014 - Risk of Cancer in Incidental Findings Identified on Ultrasound Imaging, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NCI, Sponsor Award ID: K24CA125036
  • September 30, 2010 - September 29, 2013 - RCT of US versus CT for Patients in the ED with Suspected Renal Colic, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: AHRQ, Sponsor Award ID: R01HS019312

Education

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, B.S.E., 1985, Architecture/Engineering
Columbia University, New York, NY, 7/85-6/86, Pre-Medical Program
University of California, San Francisco, CA, M.D., 1991, Medicine

Honors & Awards

  • 1985
    Cum laude, Princeton University
  • 1985
    Senior Thesis Prize, Princeton University
  • 1988
    Student Summer Research Fellowship, Institute for Health Policy, UCSF
  • 1999, 2000
    Radiologic Society of North America Nycomed Amersham Fellow

Selected Publications

  1. Bos D, Yu S, Luong J, Chu P, Wang Y, Einstein AJ, Starkey J, Delman BN, Duong PT, Das M, Schindera S, Goode AR, MacLeod F, Wetter A, Neill R, Lee RK, Roehm J, Seibert JA, Cervantes LF, Kasraie N, Pike P, Pahwa A, Jeukens CRLPN, Smith-Bindman R. Diagnostic reference levels and median doses for common clinical indications of CT: findings from an international registry. Eur Radiol. 2021 Oct 13.  View on PubMed
  2. Stewart C, Smith-Bindman R. It Is Time to Inform Patients of Medical Imaging Risks. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Oct 01; 4(10):e2129681.  View on PubMed
  3. Harrison JD, Balonov M, Bochud F, Martin CJ, Menzel HG, Smith-Bindman R, Ortiz-López P, Simmonds JR, Wakeford R. The use of dose quantities in radiological protection: ICRP publication 147 Ann ICRP 50(1) 2021. J Radiol Prot. 2021 06 01; 41(2).  View on PubMed
  4. Bowles EJA, Miglioretti DL, Kwan ML, Bartels U, Furst A, Cheng SY, Lau C, Greenlee RT, Weinmann S, Marlow EC, Rahm AK, Stout NK, Bolch WE, Theis MK, Smith-Bindman R, Pole JD. Long-term medical imaging use in children with central nervous system tumors. PLoS One. 2021; 16(4):e0248643.  View on PubMed
  5. Farjah F, Monsell SE, Gould MK, Smith-Bindman R, Banegas MP, Heagerty PJ, Keast EM, Ramaprasan A, Schoen K, Brewer EG, Greenlee RT, Buist DSM. Association of the Intensity of Diagnostic Evaluation With Outcomes in Incidentally Detected Lung Nodules. JAMA Intern Med. 2021 Apr 01; 181(4):480-489.  View on PubMed
  6. Marlow EC, Ducore J, Kwan ML, Cheng SY, Bowles EJA, Greenlee RT, Pole JD, Rahm AK, Stout NK, Weinmann S, Smith-Bindman R, Miglioretti DL. Leukemia Risk in a Cohort of 3.9 Million Children with and without Down Syndrome. J Pediatr. 2021 Jul; 234:172-180.e3.  View on PubMed
  7. Harrison JD, Balonov M, Bochud F, Martin C, Menzel HG, Ortiz-Lopez P, Smith-Bindman R, Simmonds JR, Wakeford R. ICRP Publication 147: Use of Dose Quantities in Radiological Protection. Ann ICRP. 2021 Feb; 50(1):9-82.  View on PubMed
  8. Smith-Bindman R, Bibbins-Domingo K. USPSTF Recommendations for Screening for Carotid Stenosis to Prevent Stroke-The Need for More Data. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 02 01; 4(2):e2036218.  View on PubMed
  9. Jeukens CRLPN, Boere H, Wagemans BAJM, Nelemans PJ, Nijssen EC, Smith-Bindman R, Wildberger JE, Sailer AM. Probability of receiving a high cumulative radiation dose and primary clinical indication of CT examinations: a 5-year observational cohort study. BMJ Open. 2021 01 17; 11(1):e041883.  View on PubMed
  10. Wang RC, Kornblith AE, Grupp-Phelan J, Smith-Bindman R, Kao LS, Fahimi J. Trends in Use of Diagnostic Imaging for Abdominal Pain in U.S. Emergency Departments. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2021 01; 216(1):200-208.  View on PubMed
  11. Gould MK, Altman DE, Creekmur B, Qi L, de Bie E, Golden S, Kaplan CP, Kelly K, Miglioretti DL, Mularski RA, Musigdilok VV, Smith-Bindman R, Steltz JP, Wiener RS, Aberle DR, Dyer DS, Vachani A. Guidelines for the Evaluation of Pulmonary Nodules Detected Incidentally or by Screening: A Survey of Radiologist Awareness, Agreement, and Adherence From the Watch the Spot Trial. J Am Coll Radiol. 2021 Apr; 18(4):545-553.  View on PubMed
  12. Wang RC, Miglioretti DL, Marlow EC, Kwan ML, Theis MK, Bowles EJA, Greenlee RT, Rahm AK, Stout NK, Weinmann S, Smith-Bindman R. Trends in Imaging for Suspected Pulmonary Embolism Across US Health Care Systems, 2004 to 2016. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 11 02; 3(11):e2026930.  View on PubMed
  13. Wang RC, Stoller ML, Smith-Bindman R. Diagnostic Imaging for Kidney Stones. JAMA. 2020 10 13; 324(14):1464-1465.  View on PubMed
  14. Barocas DA, Boorjian SA, Alvarez RD, Downs TM, Gross CP, Hamilton BD, Kobashi KC, Lipman RR, Lotan Y, Ng CK, Nielsen ME, Peterson AC, Raman JD, Smith-Bindman R, Souter LH. Microhematuria: AUA/SUFU Guideline. J Urol. 2020 10; 204(4):778-786.  View on PubMed
  15. Smith-Bindman R, Chu P, Wang Y, Chung R, Lopez-Solano N, Einstein AJ, Solberg L, Cervantes LF, Yellen-Nelson T, Boswell W, Delman BN, Duong PA, Goode AR, Kasraie N, Lee RK, Neill R, Pahwa A, Pike P, Roehm J, Schindera S, Starkey J, Suntharalingam S, Jeukens CRLPN, Miglioretti DL. Comparison of the Effectiveness of Single-Component and Multicomponent Interventions for Reducing Radiation Doses in Patients Undergoing Computed Tomography: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2020 05 01; 180(5):666-675.  View on PubMed
  16. Whitebird RR, Solberg LI, Bergdall AR, López-Solano N, Smith-Bindman R. Barriers to CT Dose Optimization: The Challenge of Organizational Change. Acad Radiol. 2021 03; 28(3):387-392.  View on PubMed
  17. Demb J, Smith-Bindman R. Effective Radiation Doses for Lung Cancer Screening Scans-Reply. JAMA Intern Med. 2020 04 01; 180(4):612.  View on PubMed
  18. Solberg LI, Wang Y, Whitebird R, Lopez-Solano N, Smith-Bindman R. Organizational Factors and Quality Improvement Strategies Associated With Lower Radiation Dose From CT Examinations. J Am Coll Radiol. 2020 Jul; 17(7):951-959.  View on PubMed
  19. Demb J, Chu P, Yu S, Whitebird R, Solberg L, Miglioretti DL, Smith-Bindman R. Analysis of Computed Tomography Radiation Doses Used for Lung Cancer Screening Scans. JAMA Intern Med. 2019 12 01; 179(12):1650-1657.  View on PubMed
  20. Gould MK, Smith-Bindman R, Kelly K, Altman DE, Barjaktarevic I, Creekmur B, de Bie E, Dyer DS, Mortani Barbosa EJ, Mularski RA, Qi L, Vaszar LT, Yu S, Miglioretti DL. Methods for the Watch the Spot Trial. A Pragmatic Trial of More- versus Less-Intensive Strategies for Active Surveillance of Small Pulmonary Nodules. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2019 12; 16(12):1567-1576.  View on PubMed

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