Judith Westman, MD
(614) 293-6694
westman.1@osu.edu


Current Research Interests
The Amish Cancer Project --a study of the incidence and prevalence of cancer in the Ohio Amish population.  A service component has provided cancer education and prevention seminars Amish homes and meeting places and conducted interviews and risk assessments of over 200 individuals.  An IRB-approved research component has interviewed 92 randomly selected households.  The information obtained (27,500 individuals) has been entered in a database.  Statistical analysis has been completed and a manuscript prepared.  Submission to an appropriate journal is in process.  Three posters have been presented at various scientific meetings.  Two spin-off research projects are underway by other investigators.  PI: JA Westman.

Microcephalic Osteodysplastic Primordial Dwarfism type I in the Amish. Several affected Amish individuals have been identified and DNA samples obtained.  Unaffected family members have contributed DNA.  Microarray technology of single nucleotide polymorphisms is being used to screen for a possible gene locus.  DNA from additional affected non-Amish individuals and families has been collected and is under analysis.  Collaborator:  Albert de la Chapelle.  

Do lifestyle factors explain the lower rates of cancer among the Amish in Holmes County, Ohio region? Internal grant from the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center to explore the association of lifestyle behaviors and cancer by focusing on identifying potential behaviors that may contribute to the lower cancer rates in the Amish. PI: Mira Katz. Co-investigator: JA Westman.

Learning Preferences and Educational Success in Medical School – an IRB-approved study of the learning styles of entering medical students and a longitudinal outcomes analysis of their interaction in a newly revised integrated curriculum. PI: Charles Hitchcock. Co-investigators Dave Way, Rollin Nagel, and JA Westman.

Learning disabilities in medical students. An IRB-approved retrospective study of students screened for attention deficit disorder and the affect on medical school performance. IRB approval of a prospective study in process. PI: JA Westman. Collaborators Robert Bornstein, Dan Clinchot, Patricia Fertel.

Recent Publications
Sweet K, Bradley T, Westman J: Identification and referral of families at high risk for cancer susceptibility.  J Clin Oncol 20(2):528-537.  Jan 2002.

MacEachern SN, Ferketich AK, Lemeshow S, Shen L, Westman J, de la Chapelle A, and Bloomfield C:  Estimating incidence rates using pedigree sampling (abstract).  Am J Epidemiol 157:S54.  Jun 2003.

Sweet K, Ashida S, Willis S, Westman JA: Use of Fear Appeal techniques in the design of tailored cancer risk communication messages: implications for health care providers.  J Clin Oncol 21(17):3375-3376.  Sep 1 2003.

Westman JA, MacEachern SN, Ferketich AK, Lemeshow S, Pilarski R, Nagy R, de la Chapelle A, Bloomfield CD:  Low cancer incidence rates in Ohio Amish (abstract).  Am J Hum Genet 73(5 Supplement):373.  Nov 2003.

Hampel H, Sweet K, Westman JA, Eng C:  Development and use of risk assessment criteria to evaluate cancer family histories (abstract).  Am J Hum Genet 73(5 Supplement):404.  Nov 2003.

Hampel H, Sweet K, Westman JA, Offit K, Eng C: Referral for cancer genetics consultation: a review and compilation of risk assessment criteria.  J Med Genet 41(2):81-91.  Feb 2004.

Ferketich AF, Westman JA, MacEachern SN, Lemeshow S, Wilkins JR III, de la Chapelle A, Bloomfield CD:  Barriers to sampling an isolated population: The Ohio State University Amish Population Study experience (abstract).  Am J Epidemiol 159S:S27.  Jun 2004.

Murden RA, Way DP, Hudson A, Westman JA:  Professionalism deficiencies in a first quarter doctor-patient relationship course predict poor clinical performance in medical school.  Acad Med 79(10):S46-S48.  Oct 2004.

Hampel H, Frankel WL, Martin E, Arnold M, Khanduja K, Kuebler P, Nakagawa H, Sotamaa K, Prior T, Westman J, Panescu J, Fix D, Lockman J, Comeras I, de la Chapelle A:  Screening for Lynch syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer).  New Engl J Med 352(18):1851-1860.  May 5, 2005.

Sweet K, Bradley T, Westman J: Identification and referral of families at high risk for cancer susceptibility. J Clin Oncol 20(2):528-537. Jan 2002.

MacEachern SN, Ferketich AK , Lemeshow S, Shen L, Westman J, de la Chapelle A, and Bloomfield C: Estimating incidence rates using pedigree sampling (abstract). Am J Epidemiol 157:S54. Jun 2003.

Sweet K, Ashida S, Willis S, Westman JA: Use of Fear Appeal techniques in the design of tailored cancer risk communication messages: implications for health care providers. J Clin Oncol 21(17):3375-3376. Sep 1 2003.

Westman JA, MacEachern SN, Ferketich AK, Lemeshow S, Pilarski R, Nagy R, de la Chapelle A, Bloomfield CD: Low cancer incidence rates in Ohio Amish (abstract). Am J Hum Genet 73(5 Supplement):373. Nov 2003.

Hampel H, Sweet K, Westman JA, Eng C: Development and use of risk assessment criteria to evaluate cancer family histories (abstract). Am J Hum Genet 73(5 Supplement):404. Nov 2003.

Hampel H, Sweet K, Westman JA, Offit K, Eng C: Referral for cancer genetics consultation: a review and compilation of risk assessment criteria. J Med Genet 41(2):81-91. Feb 2004.

Ferketich AF, Westman JA, MacEachern SN, Lemeshow S, Wilkins JR III, de la Chapelle A, Bloomfield CD: Barriers to sampling an isolated population: The Ohio State University Amish Population Study experience (abstract). Am J Epidemiol 159S:S27. Jun 2004.

Murden RA, Way DP, Hudson A, Westman JA: Professionalism deficiencies in a first quarter doctor-patient relationship course predict poor clinical performance in medical school. Acad Med 79(10):S46-S48. Oct 2004.
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Hampel H, Frankel WL, Martin E, Arnold M, Khanduja K, Kuebler P, Nakagawa H, Sotamaa K, Prior T, Westman J, Panescu J, Fix D, Lockman J, Comeras I, de la Chapelle A: Screening for Lynch syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer). New Engl J Med 352(18):1851-1860. May 5, 2005.

Hampel H, Frankel W, Panescu J, Lockman J, Sotamaa K, Fix D, Comeras I, LaJeunesse J, Nakagawa H, Westman JA, Prior TW, Clendenning M, Penzone P, Lombardi J, Dunn P, Cohn D, Copeland L, Eaton L, Fowler J, Lewandowski G, Vaccarello L, Bell J, Reid G, de la Chapelle A: Screening for Lynch Syndrome (HNPCC) among endometrial cancer patients. Cancer Res 66(15):7810-7817. Aug 1, 2006. 

Hampel H, Frankel W, Panescu J, Lockman J, Sotamaa K, Fix D, Comeras I, LaJeunesse J, Nakagawa H, Westman JA, Prior TW, Clendenning M, Penzone P, Lombardi J, Dunn P, Cohn DE, Copeland L, Eaton L, Fowler J, Lewandowski G, Vaccarello L, Bell J, Reid G, de la Chapelle A: Comment on: Screening for Lynch Syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer) among endometrial cancer patients (letter). Cancer Res 67(19):9603. Oct 1, 2007.

Ferketich AK, Katz ML, Kauffman RM, Paskett ED, Lemeshow S, Westman JA, Clinton SK, Bloomfield CD, Wewers ME: Tobacco use among the Amish in Holmes County, Ohio. Journal of Rural Health (Feb 2007, in press)

Kelly KM, Westman J: Lessons learned while developing a cancer family history campaign in the Columbus , Ohio metropolitan area. (Submitted to Community Genetics, 2007)

South CD, Hampel H, Comeras I, Westman JA, Frankel WL, de la Chapelle A: The frequency of Muir-Torre Syndrome variant in Lynch Syndrome. (Submitted to JNCI, 2007)

McClain MR, Palomaki GE, Hampel H, Westman JA, Haddow JE: Screen positive rates and agreement among six family history screening protocols for breast/ovarian cancer in four population-based cohorts of 21 to 55 year old women. (In preparation)

Westman JA, Ferketich AK, MacEachern SN, Wilkins JR III, Wilcox PP, Pilarski RT, Nagy R, Lemeshow S, de la Chapelle A, Bloomfield CD: Low cancer incidence rates in Ohio Amish. (in preparation)

Kelly KM, Ferketich A, Sturm A, Koenig C, Sweet K, Kemp K, Schwirian P, Westman J: Cancer risk and risk communication in urban, lower-income neighborhoods. (in preparation)

Invited Articles
Family medical history in disease prevention [brochure].  April 2004.  Organized by the AMA Science, Quality, and Public Health Group.  Contributed to and reviewed by American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Medical Genetics, American Society of Human Genetics, Centers for Disease Control and prevention, Judith A Westman MD, National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics, National Society of Genetic Counselors, Rosemarie Smith MD, Sharon Sweede MD.  http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2380.html

Books, Chapters, Electronic Media
Westman JA:  Medical Genetics for the Modern Clinician.  Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006. (Sole author for medical student textbook with accompanying pedagogical website. Text released Mar 2005.  Accompanying website released Jul 2005.)

Westman JA, Sweet K, Hampel H, Eng C:  JamesLink: Personalized cancer risk assessment.  April, 2005.  http://www.jamesline.com/go/jameslink