Biography
Mary Kathryn Abel, AB graduated from Harvard University in 2014 with a primary concentration in Neurobiology, a secondary concentration in Music, and a certificate in Mind, Brain, and Behavior. At Harvard, she worked as a research assistant at the Music and Neuroimaging Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center under the guidance of Psyche Loui, PhD and Gottfried Schlaug, MD, PhD. She completed her honors thesis entitled "Multimodal Neuroimaging and Behavioral Studies on Auditory-Motor Deficiencies and Compensatory Mechanisms." Prior to starting medical school, she worked as a medical assistant and medication advocate at the San Francisco Free Clinic, a clinic that provides free, accessible medical care to those without insurance.
At UCSF, Mary Kathryn has explored her interest in women's health and has performed research in Obstetrics, Gynecology, and General Surgery. Most recently, she was awarded a research grant through the UCSF Yearlong Inquiry Program and received funding through the CTSI TL1 grant. She will work with Rita Mukhtar, MD to study imaging challenges in invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast.
Education
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, A.B., Neurobiology, 2014
M.D./MAS Candidate at UCSF, Class of 2022
Clinical Interests
Breast Surgery
General Surgery
Global Surgery
Obstetrics
Benign Gynecology
Gynecologic Oncology
Book Chapters
Abel, MK, Murase, JE. (2021). Irritant contact dermatitis. In Lebwohl, M, Heymann, WR, Coulson, I, Murrell, D (Ed.), Treatment of skin disease: Comprehensive strategies (pp. 391-393). Philadelphia: Elsevier.
Abel MK, Murase JE. Pregnancy Dermatoses: A Review. Women’s Health Expert Resource Group Meeting at the 2021 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting (Virtual Format). April 24, 2021.
Abel MK, Mukhtar RA. Impact of Discordant Clinical and Genomic Risk in Patients with Breast Cancer: A National Cancer Database Study. 34th Annual Resident Research Symposium, UCSF Department of Surgery (Virtual Format). April 14, 2021.
Mysona D, Abel MK, Darcy K, Tian C, Kapp DS, Chan JK. Racial Disparities in the Prevalence of Homologous Recombination Deficiency in Ovarian, Uterine, and Cervical Cancer Tumors. 2021 Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer, Society of Gynecologic Oncology (Virtual Format). March 21, 2021.
Abel MK, Greenwood H, Kelil T, Brabham C, Guo R, Fahrner-Scott K, Wong J, Alvarado M, Ewing C, Esserman LJ, Mukhtar RA. Accuracy of Breast MRI in Evaluating Axillary Nodal Status after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy or Endocrine Therapy in Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. 33rd Annual Resident Research Symposium, UCSF Department of Surgery (Virtual Format). October 28, 2020.
Abel MK, Park P, Robinson B, Thomas H, Boeck M, Lipnick M, Ozgediz D. The Creation of a Global Surgery and Health Equity Elective at UCSF School of Medicine. 33rd Annual Resident Research Symposium, UCSF Department of Surgery (Virtual Format). October 28, 2020.
Abel MK, Murase JE. Vulvar Allergic Contact Dermatitis. Women’s Health Expert Resource Group Meeting at the 2020 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting (Virtual Format). April 8, 2020.
Abel MK. Efficacy and Clinical Outcomes of Standard Interventions in Patients with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast. 2020 UCSF School of Medicine Inquiry Symposium (Virtual Format). March 4, 2020.
Abel MK, Weigel G, Lager J. Using Surgical Videos to Expand the UCSF Medical Student Curriculum in OB-GYN. 2020 APGO Martin L. Stone, MD Faculty Development Seminar. Bonita Springs, FL. January 13, 2020.
Abel MK, Fahrner-Scott K, Wong J, Alvarado M, Ewing C, Esserman LJ, Park C, Mukhtar RA. Disease Free Survival in Patients with Node Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma with or without Axillary Dissection. 5th World Congress on Controversies in Breast Cancer. San Francisco, CA. September 5, 2019.
Levy R, Gonzalez A, Weigel G, Abel MK, Lager J. Access to OB-GYN Surgical Skills Training: Expanding the UCSF Medical Student Curriculum. 2019 UCSF Educational Showcase. San Francisco, CA. March 20, 2019.
Weigel G, Abel MK, Levy R, Gonzalez A, Lager J. Expanding the UCSF Medical Student Curriculum in OB-GYN: The Creation of Online Surgical Modules. 2019 UCSF Educational Showcase. San Francisco, CA. March 20, 2019.
Wang A, Letourneau JM, Juarez-Hernandez F, Abel MK, Mok-Lin E, Rosen M. Characteristics of Follicular Fluid in the TALES Randomized Controlled Trial. 2021 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Annual Meeting. Baltimore, MD. October 19, 2021.
Abel MK, Melisko ME, Rugo HS, Chien AJ, Diaz I, Levine JK, Griffin A, McGuire J, Esserman LJ, Borno HT, Mukhtar RA. Decreased Enrollment of Patients with Advanced Lobular Breast Cancer Compared to Ductal Breast Cancer in Interventional Clinical Trials. 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (Virtual Format). June 8, 2021.
Abel MK, Tierney C, Alavi M, Weintraub MR, Avins A, Zaritsky E. COVID-19’s Impact on Obstetric and Gynecologic Emergency Department Visits in an Integrated Healthcare System. 2021 ACOG Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting (Virtual Format). April 30, 2021.
Abel MK, Kim J, Lager JL. Using Video to Improve Understanding of Anatomy for Clinical Medical Students. 49th Annual AAGL Global Congress on Minimally Invasive Gynecology (Virtual Format). November 6, 2020.
Abel MK, Diaz I, Levine JK, Pate L, Viggiano E, Melisko ME, Mukhtar RA. Unintended Bias in Clinical Trials: The Prevalence of Entry Criteria that Exclude Patients with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma from Metastatic Breast Cancer Trials. 12th Annual European Breast Cancer Conference (Virtual Format), October 1, 2020.
Abel MK, Liao CI, Darcy KM, Tian C, Mann A, McDonald Y, Williams K, Maxwell GL, Kapp DS, Chan JK. Uterine Cancer Histology and Stage at Presentation in Black and White Women: A Cohort Study of 488,000 Patients. 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (Virtual Format). May 29, 2020.
Abel MK, Liao CI, Van Loon K, Tian C, Darcy KM, Mann A, Kapp DS, Chan JK. The Increasing Incidence of Colorectal Cancer in Younger Patients in the United States: Who, What, When, and Where? 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (Virtual Format). May 29, 2020.
Abel MK, Brabham C, Guo R, Fahrner-Scott K, Wong J, Alvarado M, Esserman LJ, Ewing C, Mukhtar RA. Predictors of Nodal Response After Neoadjuvant Therapy in Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast. 2020 American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting (Virtual Format), April 29, 2020.
Brabham C, Guo R, Fahrner-Scott K, Abel MK, Wong J, Alvarado M, Esserman LJ, Ewing C, Mukhtar RA. Evaluating the Safety of Breast Conserving Therapy Versus Mastectomy for Patients with Large Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast. 2020 American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting (Virtual Format). April 29, 2020.
Abel MK, Mann A, Kapp DS, Chan JK. Seroprevalence of HPV Infections in the Cervix and Penis in Unvaccinated Individuals: A Study of 3,143 Participants. 2020 ACOG Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting (Virtual Format). April 24, 2020.
Chan JK, Lee D, Mann AK, Chan C, Chan J, Abel MK, Monk B, Kapp DS. HPV Vaccination Based on Gender, Race, and Socioeconomic Status in United States: Who is Getting Left Behind? 2020 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting (Virtual Format). March 28, 2020.
Chan JK, Mann AK, Chan C, Lee D, Rohatgi A, Abel MK, Argueta C, Kapp DS. Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Individuals in the United States. 2020 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting (Virtual Format). March 28, 2020.
Chan JK, Abel MK, Mann AK, Chan C, Liao C, Monk B, Kapp DS. The Effect of Cross-Protection, Viral Shift, and Herd Immunity After Quadrivalent Vaccination: A Study of 4,030 Adult Women. 2020 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting (Virtual Format). March 28, 2020.
Abel MK, Gonzalez A, Levy R, Weigel G, Stotland N, Lager J. Increasing Access to Laparoscopic Surgical Simulation within Undergraduate Medical Education (UME). 2020 CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL. February 26, 2020.
Gonzalez A, Abel MK, Levy R, Weigel G, Stotland N, Lager J. Applying the Medical Student-as-Teacher Model in OB-GYN. 2020 CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL. February 26, 2020.
Abel MK, Wong J, Alvarado M, Ewing C, Esserman LJ, Park C, Mukhtar RA. The Impact of Axillary Surgery on Recurrence-Free Survival in Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) of the Breast. 25th Annual UCSF Breast Oncology Program Scientific Retreat. San Francisco, CA. February 20, 2020.
Abel MK, Murase EM, Suresh R, Raffi J, Razzeca K, Murase, JE. Systemic Treatment for Severe Psoriasis in a Patient with Autoimmune Cytopenia. San Francisco Dermatological Society. Palo Alto, CA. February 8, 2020.
Abel MK, Kho K, Walter A, Zaritsky E. Utilizing Quality and Value Metrics to Improve Patient Outcomes through the Kaiser Permanente Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy Initiative. 48th Annual AAGL Global Congress on Minimally Invasive Gynecology. Vancouver, BC, Canada. November 1, 2019.
Abel MK, Suresh R, Raffi J, McCalmont T, Murase, JE. The Diagnosis of Gestational Bullous Pemphigoid. American College of Physicians, Northern California Chapter Abstract Competition. San Jose, CA. October 12, 2019.
Abel MK, Gonzales N, Kamholz B, Price E. Improving the Discharge Process for Patients Followed by the Behavioral Evaluation and Support Team. San Francisco VA Medical Center Education Day. San Francisco, CA. May 18, 2017.
Abel MK, Loui P. Resting State Networks in Tone Deafness. Center for Brain Science at Harvard University. Cambridge, MA. May 1, 2013.
Iyer J, Loui P, Halwani G, Abel MK, Schlaug G. Perturbed Auditory Feedback and Resting State Functional Networks in Tone-Deafness. 2013 Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA. April 13, 2013.