Nicolien van Ravesteyn

The work package on evaluation and optimization of harms and benefits of screening (WP 5) will be coordinated by Nicolien van Ravesteyn, PhD. Since 2008, she is employed as a researcher at the Department of Public Health, where she evaluates the effect of breast cancer screening using the microsimulation model MISCAN-Fadia. An important part of her research has been performed within the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET). Her modelling work informed the 2009 & 2016 US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for breast cancer screening and she performed analyses for CDC to help them make decisions on how to respond to a change from film to digital mammography in the NBCCEDP (a program that provides access to breast cancer screening to underserved women). Her current research includes evaluating new screening modalities, such as tomosynthesis and ultrasound for women with dense breasts, more individualized screening, and modelling different molecular subtypes of breast cancer.