Welcome to the Division of Pathology and Data Analytics (PADA)
The division of Pathology and Data Analytics (PADA) brings together internationally recognised expertise in translational pathology, data science, and population health to advance our understanding of disease mechanisms and improve patient outcomes. Research themes span the full spectrum from fundamental biological discovery to clinical implementation, with a strong emphasis on multidisciplinary collaboration and real-world impact.
A core strength of the division lies in its leadership in cancer research, particularly in gastrointestinal and women’s health malignancies. Integrated programmes combine pathology, surgery, screening, clinical trials, and molecular diagnostics to address key challenges in cancer detection, treatment response and service delivery. These efforts are underpinned by extensive clinical cohorts, large-scale digital pathology resources, and strong links to national and international trial networks.
The division is also at the forefront of digital pathology and computational medicine, developing advanced artificial intelligence and bioinformatics tools to support diagnostics, biomarker discovery, and personalised treatment strategies. Dedicated translational bioinformatics expertise enables the analysis of complex genomic, imaging and microbiome datasets, driving innovation across multiple disease areas.
Complementing this, population-level research utilises large, linked healthcare datasets to understand variation in cancer care, outcomes, and inequalities, informing policy and service improvement. PADA’s further strengths include research into early disease development, immune-tumour interactions, and the role of the microenvironment in cancer progression, as well as work in neurodegenerative disease and structural biology.
The division benefits from strong partnerships with the NHS, industry and international collaborators, and is embedded within major research infrastructures including the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, National Pathology Imaging Co-operative, CRUK Clinical Trials Unit, CRUK RadNet and the Leeds Cancer Research Centre. A strong commitment to training supports the development of future clinician-scientists and researchers across pathology, data science and translational medicine.
