Ilana F Gareen is an American epidemiologist who is a professor at Brown University. Her research considers the development and implementation of new imaging technologies. She was co-chair of the National Lung Screening Trial.
Early life and education Gareen completed her undergraduate degree in bioethics at Vassar College. She moved to Yale University for a Master's in Public Health, where she studied the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in New York City inmates. After her graduate studies, she worked as a research associate at Cornell University, focusing on epidemiology. She earned her doctorate at University of California, Los Angeles, where she investigated reproductive and perinatal epidemiology.
Research and career Gareen joined Brown University as a research fellow in 1997, was made assistant professor in 1999 and full professor in 2025. She develops strategies for diagnostic imaging, with a focus on patient outcomes and quality of life.
Gareen was co-chair of the National Lung Screening Trial. She looked at how significant incidental finding detection impacted patient morbidity. Her research has shown that 30% of low dose CT scans contain significant incidental findings, and 90% of them were considered reportable. The most common were emphysema, coronary artery calcium and masses. The National Lung Screening Trial demonstrated that screening with low dose CT scans reduced lung cancer mortality compared to chest radiography. CT scans are much more costly than X-rays, but have a better impact on quality of life.
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