Ellen Mowry, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Phone: 415-353-2069
Fax: 415-353-2633
Email: ellen.mowry@ucsf.edu
Box #: 0114
Dr. Mowry became interested in multiple sclerosis prior to beginning college and first performed research in multiple sclerosis as an undergraduate biology major at Georgetown University in the laboratory of Dr. John Richert. After obtaining an M.D. at the University of Rochester, she completed a medicine internship and neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania, where she evaluated visual dysfunction and quality of life in multiple sclerosis with Dr. Laura Balcer.
Dr. Mowry joined the UCSF MS Center in July, 2007. During her fellowship, she evaluated prognostic factors in multiple sclerosis, examined health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis, particularly as a marker of disease burden, and obtained a Master's Degree in Clinical Research.
Dr. Mowry's primary interest is to understand what factors impact the prognosis of individuals with multiple sclerosis. In conjunction with Dr. Emmanuelle Waubant, she recently conducted three related studies. In the first, non-white race, younger age, and a lower number of affected functional systems (e.g. strength; vision) in the first multiple sclerosis attack all predicted an increased risk of an early second attack (Journal of Neurology, 2009). These findings may help clinicians stratify which patients might most benefit from early initiation of disease-modifying therapy. In the second, they showed that younger and non-white patients were also at risk for more severe attacks. Further, patients who experienced early attacks of greater severity or worse recovery were more likely to have the same features of subsequent attacks (Neurology, 2009). The third study showed that patients with multiple sclerosis are likely to have clinical attacks occur in the same part of the nervous system (Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 2009). Dr. Mowry was awarded the 2008 Henry Newman Award by the San Francisco Neurological Society for this work.
Selected Publications
Mowry EM, Deen S, Malikova I, Pelletier J, Bacchetti P, Waubant E. The onset location of multiple sclerosis predicts the location of subsequent relapses. J Neurol Neurosurg Psych 2009;80:400-403 (Epub 9 December 2008).
Okuda DT, Mowry EM, Beheshtian A, Waubant E, Baranzini SE, Goodin DS, Hauser SL, Pelletier D. Incidental MRI anomalies suggestive of multiple sclerosis: the radiologically isolated syndrome Neurology 2009;72:800-805 (Epub 10 December 2008).
Mowry EM, Pesic M, Grimes B, Deen S, Bacchetti P, Waubant E. Demyelinating events in early multiple sclerosis have inherent severity and recovery. Neurology 2009;72:602-608.
Mowry EM, Pesic M, Grimes B, Deen S, Bacchetti P, Waubant E. Clinical predictors of early second event in patients with clinically isolated syndrome. Journal of Neurology 2009 (Epub 1 March).
Mowry EM, Beheshtian A, Waubant E, Goodin DS, Cree BA, Qualley P, Lincoln R, George MF, Gomez R, Hauser SL, Okuda DT, Pelletier D. Quality of life in multiple sclerosis is associated with lesion burden and brain volume measures. Neurology 2009;72:1760-1765.
