Memorial Sloan Kettering pathologist Lora Hedrick Ellenson

Lora Hedrick Ellenson, MD

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Gynecologic cancers and conditions

My Specialties

  • Anatomic pathology
  • Surgical pathology
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Get to Know Me

I am a surgical pathologist with expertise in diseases of the female genital tract. I am also a molecular biologist and Director of Gynecologic Pathology at MSK. I aim to provide the best care for patients by working with gynecologic oncology care teams so we can make the most of translational research and further our understanding of gynecologic cancers.

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My research is primarily focused on the molecular genetics of endometrial cancer. My laboratory was one of the first to systematically identify a significant number of molecular genetic changes in endometrial cancer. These findings laid the foundation for understanding the molecular pathogenesis of endometrial carcinoma, as well as for the development of genetic mouse models.   

I am an editor of Blaustein’s Pathology of the Female Genital Tract, considered a gold-standard textbook in the field of gynecologic pathology. I am currently editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Gynecological Pathology, the journal of the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists. In addition, I am an associate editor of the American Journal of Pathology and on the editorial board of Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease. I have contributed chapters on the female reproductive tract to Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, a textbook used worldwide in the education of medical students and residents, as well as to Robbins and Cotran Basic Pathology

It is my distinct pleasure to be at MSK, where I can continue to contribute to the understanding of some of the most common cancers in women. My ultimate goal is to improve lives and outcomes for women with gynecologic cancers.

What I Do at MSK

I'm a pathologist, which is a doctor who uses a microscope to make a diagnosis from cell and tissue samples. I analyze these samples to learn the cause and effects of a health issue.

  • Director, Gynecologic Pathology
  • Vice Chair of Faculty and Academic Affairs
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Gynecologic cancers and conditions

My Specialties

  • Anatomic pathology
  • Surgical pathology
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Stanford University Medical School

Residencies

  • Anatomic Pathology - The Johns Hopkins Medical Institution

Fellowships

  • Molecular Oncology and Gynecologic Pathology - The Johns Hopkins Hospital

Board Certifications

  • Anatomic Pathology

Awards and Honors

  • Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2025)
  • Castle Connolly: Exceptional Women in Medicine (2024)
  • Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2024)
  • Top Doctors New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly (2023)
  • Exceptional Women in Medicine Award, Castle Connolly (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)

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Contact and Location

Dr. Ellenson sees patients at one location.

Location
New York, NY
1275 York Avenue New York NY 10065

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Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

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Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

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Research and Publications

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Ellenson’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Lora Hedrick Ellenson discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • Annual Reviews
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Springer Nature Switzerland AG
    Intellectual Property Rights
  • Wolters Kluwer
    Professional Services and Activities

If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.


This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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