Denise Aberle

Denise R. Aberle
Alma mater	University of Kansas School of Medicine
Occupation(s)	Radiologist, Oncologist, Professor
Employer(s)	David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
Known for	Leadership of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST)
Awards	National Academy of Medicine, Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Clinical Research Achievement Award (2014), Joseph W. Cullen Prevention/Early Detection Award

Denise R. Aberle is a distinguished American specialist in radiology and oncology. She holds professorships in radiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA as well as in bioengineering within the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. Aberle has been inducted into the National Academy of Medicine and is recognized as a Fellow by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Early life and education

Aberle obtained her medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and pursued fellowship training at the University of California, San Francisco.

Career

Following completion of her residency and fellowship, Aberle joined the academic staff at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She served as the principal leader of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) in 2011, which demonstrated that CT screening significantly lowers mortality rates among high-risk individuals, providing evidence to support broader CT screening protocols for survivors of bladder cancer. Her 2013 research publication revealed that low-dose CT scans are superior to chest X-rays in detecting early-stage lung cancer. This achievement earned her the 2014 Clinical Research Achievement Award.

As a principal investigator, Aberle directed a project focused on creating liquid biopsy techniques aimed at early lung cancer detection, backed by funding amounting to $5 million. Additionally, she was honored with Fellowship status by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

In recognition of her leadership in the NLST—which found that low-dose CT screening decreases lung cancer mortality by 20% compared to chest radiography—Aberle was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2019. Furthermore, she was awarded the Joseph W. Cullen Prevention/Early Detection Award from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, acknowledging her lifelong dedication to lung cancer prevention.