Contact
Email: myepes@miami.edu
Roles
Professor of Clinical Radiology
Associate Vice Chair, Faculty Development and Mentoring
Director of Breast Imaging Services, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
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Biography
Born in Colombia, Dr. Yepes graduated summa cum laude and received her Doctor of Medicine and Surgery and Specialist in Diagnostic Radiology degrees from the Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud (CES) in Medellin, Colombia. She completed her fellowship in breast imaging in the combined Jackson Memorial/ University of Miami program in 2002. She joined the faculty of the department of radiology at the University of Miami in 2002, subsequently becoming certified by the American Board of Radiology in 2007.
She became division director of breast imaging in 2011 and in that capacity has overseen the expansion of breast imaging services to satellite facilities in Deerfield Beach, Plantation and at the Lennar Foundation Medical Center as well as at Jackson Memorial Hospital with state-of-the art imaging including Digital Breast Tomosynthesis, ultrasound, breast MRI and contrast enhanced mammography in addition to all modalities of image guided biopsies. A passionate advocate of patient centered care and risk tailored screening, she has spread the model of personalized care to each of these sites and as a result was bestowed the Dean’s Annual Faculty Award for Excellence in Clinical Service in 2021.
She has authored over 10 book chapters and 40 peer reviewed publications involving diverse aspects of breast imaging ranging from the effectiveness of communication with patients, to imaging aspects of breast cancer including correlation to biomarkers such as Oncotype, and ways to minimize radiation.
On a national level she participated as a member of the Appropriateness Committee of the American College of Radiology for Breast Imaging and contributed to the development of standard of care guidelines during her four-year commitment. She is currently a member of the Society of Breast Imaging and the Association of University Radiologists. She participates in the Association of Leaders in Academic Affairs focused on the mentoring and well-being of faculty. She is an ad-hoc editor for several journals including the Journal of Breast Imaging and Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
Because of her passion for teaching, she was the recipient of the Henry H. Lerner Award for Teaching Excellence in the department of radiology and the Award for Best Lecture Cycle. She has mentored many residents to join the field of breast imaging and co-chaired the Radiology Resident Research Committee through which she mentored many residents in preparing their senior research projects.
She has lectured extensively throughout Latin America since 2002 as well as regionally and nationally at breast cancer related events and breast imaging symposia. Locally, she has been involved with educating the community on the controversy of screening, with special emphasis on tailored, risk related, breast screening, focusing on community events of the Ashkenazi Jewish and African American communities, known to be at increased risk for breast cancer. -
Education & Training
Education
Licensures and Certifications
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Honors & Awards
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Teaching Interests
Dr. Yepes has had a special interest in teaching residents to effectively use their clinical and interpretive skills to create imaging reports that are clinically relevant and concise. She has emphasized the need to evaluate breast imaging findings in the context of a patient’s clinical history related to breast and other systemic diseases.
She has emphasized the increasing importance of risk tailored breast imaging as the standard of care, and the imperative need for trainees to gain comprehensive knowledge of patient and family risk factors as well as genetic predispositions. Trainees must leave their workstations and learn how to obtain this information from their patients in a sensitive manner at the time of evaluation in order to propose appropriate screening plans, including recommendations to undergo genetic evaluation or high-risk management.
Related to this, she has endeavored to hone trainees’ skills to interact with patients in an understanding and compassionate manner to communicate results and recommendations to them in ways that are sensitive to their levels of anxiety as well as their cultural background and educational levels.
Other teaching interests have involved the evaluation of breast cancer, high risk lesions, and benign breast lesions with their imaging manifestations in each of the modalities used at this time. She has emphasized rational use of imaging according to appropriateness criteria with an emphasis on reducing the harm of unnecessary or excessive imaging and interventions.
Her teaching efforts have expanded to the local, regional, national and international arenas through extensive lectures. She has emphasized the diffusion of appropriate screening guidelines in an era of screening controversy, as well as multiple breast imaging related topics ranging from digital breast tomosynthesis to MRI, contrast enhanced mammography, high risk screening and the evaluation of response to treatments. -
Research Interests
Dr. Yepes’s research has focused on varied topics ranging from imaging findings of varying benign and malignant breast lesions to the mammographic and sonographic correlation of imaging findings to tumor genetics which predict recurrence. She has collaborated in multidisciplinary efforts to evaluate the imaging findings which predict response associated to different neoadjuvant treatments including the administration of radiation before surgery. Additional collaborations are underway to evaluate the genetic characteristics and disparities of breast cancer in the culturally diverse population of South Florida.
More recently, she has participated in research analyzing differences in the detection of cancer and other benign entities comparing 2D mammography and tomosynthesis and the benefit of tomosynthesis for the evaluation of breast pathology in males.
Another primary focus of her research interest has been in the analysis of the communication of results and findings to patients to make them comprehensible according to levels of education and cultural background. She has participated in research and educational efforts to promote culturally sensitive care of the Latino population. -
Publications
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Professional Activities
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