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  4. Pathology and Data Analytics

Pathology and Data Analytics

  • Group summary: The Division of Pathology and Data Analytics is a fusion of academic pathology with data analytics teams to allow us to fully understand the importance of pathology/data advances to patient outcomes. We undertake translational research across a number of different types of cancer e.g. bowel, oesophageal, gastric, gynaecological and head and neck as well as in digital pathology/artificial intelligence, molecular pathology, embryology, cardiovascular disease and the microbiome in health and disease. Data is fundamental to understanding human behaviours in populations and medicine and driving translational science with data science expertise in bowel cancer, nutrition, molecular epidemiology and liver disease. Data scientists are critical to the future of the Division. We undertake pathology undergraduate and post graduate education and conduct translational research and support disease prevention, screening and treatment through clinical trials/studies to improve patient outcomes, including the application of new cutting edge technologies.

What we do

We aim to generate and use data, all the way from disease prevention, screening, molecular/pathological processes to patient and population levels to generate knowledge to enhance patient outcomes.  We are an academic pathology laboratory that has fused with data science/bioinformatics groups to understand the key drivers in disease and its management. In pathology we undertake translational research in cancer - gastrointestinal cancer (Lower GI: Quirke, West, Richman, Young, Brockmoeller, Marks, Wood, E Morris (hon) and Gastric and oesophageal cancer: Grabsch, West, Irvine, Hutchins), breast cancer (Hanby), head and neck (Wood, Hutchins) and gynaecological cancer (Orsi) as well as digital pathology (Treanor), molecular pathology (all groups), microbiome (Young, Wood), embryology (Orsi) and cardiovascular disease (Griffin). We also investigate new cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (Kather (hon), Grabsch, Orsi, Quirke, Magee, Treanor) and novel imaging technologies (Brockmoeller) that add insight into pathology research and education. Our focus is on translational research moving basic scientific advances into patient care, screening, precision medicine and improving patient outcomes. As well as specialised pathology research, our data analytics work in cancer (Downing, Iles, Birch, E Morris (hon)), nutrition (Morris), autoimmune disease (Iles) and Cystic Fibrosis (Birch). 

We have a major interest in the causation and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer and improving outcomes for individuals affected by this common condition. We are undertaking translational research in over 34 UK clinical trials in bowel, stomach and oesophageal cancers and run a Yorkshire Bowel Cancer Improvement Programme driven by our data scientists allied with our multidisciplinary teams. Our digital pathology science can be seen at Virtual Pathology at the University of Leeds. We publish over 50 papers a year, many in high impact factor journals. 

Pathology in Leeds has the largest academic pathology training programme in the United Kingdom with an Industrial Clinician scientist, three NIHR Clinical Lecturers, five out-of-programme medical PhD Research Fellows, and five NIHR Academic Clinical Fellows. 

We thank our supporters, especially Yorkshire Cancer Research and the Liz Dawn Breast Cancer Appeal for investing in our laboratories and for their ongoing support. 

Teaching 

Our academic staff are at the centre of undergraduate pathology training. Running throughout year 2 of the University of Leeds MBChB programme there are pathology courses covering basic pathological principles and genetics in Essential Medical Science (EMS) and clinical aspects of the main laboratory disciplines in Clinical Pathology (CP). These courses are headed by members of our academic staff (EMS - Verghese and West, CP - Bishop) ensuring that relevant clinical and research practice are taught to the next generation of clinicians.  

Postgraduate Pathology Training is also core to the roles of many of the academic staff ensuring cutting edge clinical practice like digital pathology, molecular pathology, advanced imaging, artificial intelligence and translational research findings are disseminated to those learning to practice as consultant cellular pathologists. 

Funding 

We have programme grants and grant funding from a wide range of funders, including Cancer Research UK, Yorkshire Cancer Research, Cerebra, the Medical Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, National Institute of Health Research, Health Data Research UK, the Wellcome Trust, Bowel Cancer UK, Innovate UK/ UKRI (“UK research and Innovation”) and the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. We are also part of the Leeds Institute of Data Analytics. 

We have extensive links with industry Roche, GeneFirst, Oxford NanoInstruments, Amgen, 4D Path, Panakeia, TriStar, Ostara Biomedical, Leica Biosystems, Sectra, mTuitive, FFEI, Futamura, CliniSys and xLabsystems” and undertake research contracts and consultancy through the University of Leeds and the NIHR In Vitro Diagnostics MIC. 

Check out the overviews of our research publications:

2020

2021

2022

Who we are 

People 

Division Head Professor Philip Quirke 

View our team members  - link through to individuals pages of group leaders 

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