Research Summary

Rebecca Smith-Bindman, MD, is a Professor in Residence of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Smith–Bindman directs the Radiology Outcomes Research Laboratory. 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 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. She also is actively developing approaches that can be used to improve the way radiology tests are used and performed to improve the safety of medical imaging

Dr. Smith-Bindman has 135 peer-reviewed articles. In most 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.

Clinical Expertise:
Ultrasound

Professional Interests:
Comparative effectiveness and diagnostic imaging, health services research, outcomes research, disparities research, women's imaging, mammography, evidenced based radiology, screening tests, radiation associated with medical imaging, management of incidental findings on diagnostic testing

Education and Training:
• Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
• Internship: University of California, San Francisco - Pathology
• Residency: University of California, San Francisco - Radiology
• Fellowship: University of California, San Francisco - Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• California Medical License
• California X-ray Supervisor and Operator License
• Board Certification, American Board of Radiology

Research Funding

  • March 1, 2015 - May 31, 2021 - Risk of Pediatric and Adolescent Cancer Associated with Medical Imaging , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA185687
  • September 12, 2014 - December 31, 2020 - CT DOSE Collaboratory , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA181191
  • September 19, 2008 - June 30, 2015 - Risk of Cancer in Incidental Findings Identified on Ultrasound Imaging , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, 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: NIH, 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. Whitebird RR, Solberg LI, Chu P, Smith-Bindman R. Strategies for Dose Optimization: Views From Health Care Systems. J Am Coll Radiol. 2022 Feb 25.  View on PubMed
  2. Woolen SA, Lazar AA, Smith-Bindman R. Association Between the Frequent Use of Perineal Talcum Powder Products and Ovarian Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med. 2022 Feb 02.  View on PubMed
  3. Patel MD, Levine D, Smith-Bindman R. Poor Evidence That Endometrial Thickness Underperforms in Detecting Endometrial Cancer in Black Women. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2022 03; 218(3):563.  View on PubMed
  4. Kwan ML, Miglioretti DL, Bowles EJA, Weinmann S, Greenlee RT, Stout NK, Rahm AK, Alber SA, Pequeno P, Moy LM, Stewart C, Fong C, Jenkins CL, Kohnhorst D, Luce C, Mor JM, Munneke JR, Prado Y, Buth G, Cheng SY, Deosaransingh KA, Francisco M, Lakoma M, Martinez YT, Theis MK, Marlow EC, Kushi LH, Duncan JR, Bolch WE, Pole JD, Smith-Bindman R. Quantifying cancer risk from exposures to medical imaging in the Risk of Pediatric and Adolescent Cancer Associated with Medical Imaging (RIC) Study: research methods and cohort profile. Cancer Causes Control. 2022 May; 33(5):711-726.  View on PubMed
  5. Chu PW, Yu S, Wang Y, Seibert JA, Cervantes LF, Kasraie N, Chu CA, Smith-Bindman R. Reference phantom selection in pediatric computed tomography using data from a large, multicenter registry. Pediatr Radiol. 2022 Mar; 52(3):445-452.  View on PubMed
  6. Weinmann S, Francisco MC, Kwan ML, Bowles EJA, Rahm AK, Greenlee RT, Stout NK, Pole JD, Kushi LH, Smith-Bindman R, Miglioretti DL. Positive predictive value and sensitivity of ICD-9-CM codes for identifying pediatric leukemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2022 02; 69(2):e29383.  View on PubMed
  7. Smith-Bindman R, Yu S, Wang Y, Kohli MD, Chu P, Chung R, Luong J, Bos D, Stewart C, Bista B, Alejandrez Cisneros A, Delman B, Einstein AJ, Flynn M, Romano P, Seibert JA, Westphalen AC, Bindman A. An Image Quality-informed Framework for CT Characterization. Radiology. 2022 02; 302(2):380-389.  View on PubMed
  8. 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. 2022 Mar; 32(3):1971-1982.  View on PubMed
  9. Stewart C, Smith-Bindman R. It Is Time to Inform Patients of Medical Imaging Risks. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 10 01; 4(10):e2129681.  View on PubMed
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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 04 01; 181(4):480-489.  View on PubMed
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. Wang RC, Stoller ML, Smith-Bindman R. Diagnostic Imaging for Kidney Stones. JAMA. 2020 10 13; 324(14):1464-1465.  View on PubMed

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