Ruth A. Kleinerman

Ruth A. Kleinerman is an American epidemiologist specialized in retinoblastoma. Kleinerman worked at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) from 1979 to 2019 where she served as a staff scientist and deputy chief of the Radiation Epidemiology Branch. Education Kleinerman earned a M.P.H. from Boston University. She completed a Ph.D. in public health at the City, University of London in 2016. Her dissertation was titled Second Cancers Following Treatment for Retinoblastoma. Her doctoral advisors were John Lawrenson and Caroline McGraw. Career Kleinerman joined the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as an epidemiologist in 1979. She was a staff scientist and deputy chief in the NCI Radiation Epidemiology Branch (REB). Kleinerman retired in December 2019 from NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG). After retirement she serves as a special volunteer to the division. Kleinerman was central to the administrative functioning of REB, serving as the project officer for research support contracts and interagency agreements. Research Kleinerman researched second cancers following treatment for retinoblastoma. Kleinerman collaborated with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the University of Massachusetts Medical School to follow a large cohort of adult survivors of retinoblastoma to describe radiosensitivity and risk of second cancers among patients with the hereditary form of the disease. This work influenced clinical practice to reduce the use of radiation to treat these children and was recognized with an NIH Merit Award and two NCI DCEG awards for outstanding research paper by a staff scientist. In addition to documenting her findings in the scientific literature, Kleinerman created newsletters and a website to communicate results to participants and families. She won two NIH Plain Language Awards for her clear and effective writing.