Jessica Porembka, M.D.

Jessica Porembka, M.D., FSBI is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a member of its Breast Imaging Division. She also serves as its Vice Chair of Strategy and Quality.

Dr. Porembka holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Yale University. She earned her medical degree at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and completed her residency in Radiology and fellowship in Breast Imaging at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology.

She maintains an active clinical practice specializing in Breast Imaging that integrates imaging, intervention, and patient care. “My passion for academic Breast Imaging stems from the combined ability to diagnose breast cancer on imaging evaluations, engage in direct patient care, work as part of a multidisciplinary team, and lead efforts that refine our program’s ability to provide excellent care.” In her role as Medical Director of Parkland Breast Imaging, she has worked to foster health equity through patient-centered care and research.

Currently, her research endeavors focus on reducing disparities in cancer screening, including understanding the drivers of screening behavior for imaging-based cancer control delivery, which is essential to improving the screening experience. Ultimately, by understanding participant experiences and how service location and social determinants of health effect individuals participating in cancer screening, we can target interventions to improve participant experiences and screening adherence. 

She is also committed to patient-centered quality improvement, optimizing the clinical care delivery environment, and educational initiatives.  In her roles as Vice Chair of Strategy and Quality at UT and Medical Director for Parkland Health Radiology Quality Assurance, she has the opportunity to optimize patient care and safety by improving systems and focusing on quality improvement.

Dr. Porembka speaks nationally on breast imaging topics and population health management. She is a Fellow of the Society of Breast Imaging and an active member of several international and national societies, including Member of the Medical Advisory Council for National Breast Cancer Foundation and Member of the American College of Radiology Population Health Committee.

Personal Note

Dr. Porembka’s husband is also a faculty member at UT Southwestern in the Department of Surgery. They enjoy spending time as a family with their two children, traveling and having outdoor adventures. 

Medical School

Washington University School of Medicine (2006)

Internship

University of Hawaii John A Burns School of Medicine (2007), Internal Medicine

Residency

Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital/St. Louis Children's Hospital Consortium Program (2011), Radiology

Fellowship

Washington University School of Medicine/Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (2012), Breast Imaging

Featured Publications

Diagnostic Evaluation of Recalled Noncalcified Lesions Using Ultrasound Alone Versus Ultrasound Plus Additional Mammographic Views: A Prospective Study.

Porembka JH, Seiler SJ, Sharifi A, Mootz A, Knippa E, Evans WP, Chen H, Xi Y, Dogan BE, AJR Am J Roentgenol 2021 Dec

Radiologists' Increasing Role in Population Health Management: AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review.

Porembka JH, Lee RK, Spalluto LB, Yee J, Krishnaraj A, Zaidi S, Brewington C, AJR Am J Roentgenol 2021 Jul

Choice of imaging method in the work-up of non-calcified breast lesions identified on tomosynthesis screening.

Porembka JH, Baydoun S, Mootz AR, Xi Y, Dogan BE, Eur J Radiol 2020 Oct 131 109203

Breast ultrasound utilization in a safety net emergency department.

Porembka JH, Compton L, Omar L, Sharma P, Clark H, Ahn R, Ganti R, Xi Y, Metzger J, Leyendecker JR Emerg Radiol 2018 Oct

Editorial Comment: Improving Visibility of Breast Biopsy Markers on MRI.

Porembka JH, AJR Am J Roentgenol 2022 Sep

Axillary Lymphadenopathy in the COVID-19 Era: What the Radiologist Needs to Know.

Zhang M, Ahn RW, Hayes JC, Seiler SJ, Mootz AR, Porembka JH, Radiographics 2022 Aug 220045

Performance of a clinical and imaging-based multivariate model as decision support tool to help save unnecessary surgeries for high-risk breast lesions.

Polat DS, Schopp JG, Arjmandi F, Porembka J, Sarode V, Farr D, Xi Y, Dogan BE, Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021 Jan 185 2 479-494

Diagnosis, Management, and Percutaneous Sampling of Nipple-Areolar Calcifications: How Radiologists Can Help Patients Avoid the Operating Room.

Burk KS, Seiler SJ, Porembka JH, AJR Am J Roentgenol 2021 01 216 1 48-56

Stereotactic Vacuum-Assisted Needle Biopsy Outcomes of Non-calcified Mammographic Lesions.

Porembka JH, Compton L, Schmidt S, Polat D, Xi Y, Sarode V, Dogan BE, Acad Radiol 2020 Aug

Breast density, MR imaging biomarkers, and breast cancer risk.

Porembka JH, Ma J, Le-Petross HT, Breast J 2020 08 26 8 1535-1542

 Featured Books

Advanced Breast MRI Techniques: Helpful for Screening Breast Cancer?. In Current Breast Cancer Reports

Porembka, J.H., Seiler, S.J. & Sharma, P.B. (2016). Switzerland, Springer Nature

Neurofibroma in the Breast: Diagnosis and Management Considerations. In Journal of Breast Imaging

Chen Yin, MD, Jessica H Porembka, MD, Helena Hwang, MD, Jody C Hayes, MD (2021). Oxford University Press

• RSNA Research Seed Grant
  (2022)
• RSNA Advanced Level Quality Certification
  (2021)
• Texas Radiological Society Foundation Scholarship to the Radiology Leadership Institute Leadership Summit
  (2021)
• Leadership Emerging in Academic Departments (LEAD
  Program for Junior Faculty Physicians and Scientists (2019)

• American Roentgen Ray Society
• Radiological Society of North America
• Society of Breast Imaging
• Texas Medical Association