In January 2025, leading experts in computational pathology shared their digital predictions for the year ahead. Now that we've passed the year’s halfway point, our pro-algorithm panel has been reflecting on the progress made against those foretellings.
When will companion diagnostic trials go digital? Can digital pathology and genomics work side by side? Read on to find out whether their crystal balls were correct…
Prediction: The industry will broaden adoption for primary reads and recognize the quality gains driven by AI
By Derek Welch, President and Chief Medical Officer at PathGroup
The fragmented pathology market continues to see a real appetite for transitioning to digital pathology, though some hesitancy remains around implementation lift and associated cost. As the industry continues to streamline these processes and reduce the cost of entry, adoption will continue to grow – both for primary reads and other use cases. The rise in adoption will be to the benefit of the patient given the progression of high-quality AI tools and the opportunity for collaboration across geographies.
Finally, both pathologists and payers will continue to hear the right message from the AI community: these solutions are tools designed to work with pathologists, not replace them. That framing is essential to advancing impactful, patient-centered innovation.
Prediction: Digitalization and data integration will increase pathologists’ visibility and help them make more informed decisions
By Svenja Lippok, Head of Digital Pathology at Siemens Healthineers
Well into the year, we see customers increasingly combining diagnostic disciplines – such as radiology, pathology, molecular biology, and laboratory medicine – to deliver more comprehensive and accurate diagnoses. This unified and holistic perspective enhances both efficiency and precision in diagnostic processes. What’s more, customers report that the implementation of integrated diagnostics and digital pathology has significantly improved patient care as staff can focus more on their patients, who, in turn, benefit from faster and more accurate diagnoses.
Prediction: Companion diagnostic trials will go digital
By Amanda Hemmerich, Director, Pathology; Surgical, Molecular, and Cytopathologist; Director of Digital Pathology Innovation at IQVIA Laboratories
Enabled by regulatory acceptance and approvals, we are seeing the growing role of advances in digitized pathology in companion diagnostic clinical trials this year. This is providing greater depth in sample analysis to accelerate personalized treatment strategies. By integrating image analysis with digital platforms, such as navify and the DP600 scanner, clinical researchers are achieving more precise, scalable, and efficient biomarker assessments. One recent example is Roche Pharmaceuticals receiving the US Food and Drug Administration’s Breakthrough Device Designation for the first AI-driven companion diagnostic for non-small cell lung cancer.
Prediction: It’s not just about the visible spectrum of light anymore
By Bilal Ahmad, Managing Director, Pathology Division at Spectrum Healthcare Partners
Building on my prediction, we are seeing both investigational techniques and applications in clinical practice.
Techniques such as quantum microscopy and infrared spectroscopy remain largely exploratory, offering compelling insights into tissue architecture and protein signatures without traditional staining. However, advances in machine learning and computational power are unlocking the diagnostic potential of other spectral methods – such as multiphoton microscopy and optical coherence tomography – by enabling the extraction of clinically meaningful features.
Practical applications of synthetic staining are also beginning to emerge, using fluorescence-based inputs and AI to generate diagnostically useful virtual stains. Similarly, slide-free microscopy based on ultraviolet surface excitation is enabling rapid evaluation of fresh tissue, opening new possibilities for intraoperative consultation and triage.
Together, these innovations mark a shift in digital pathology – from static image review to real-time, computationally enhanced diagnostics that could fundamentally change how pathology is practiced.
Prediction: The digital pathology and genomics markets will become increasingly entangled
By Imogen Fitt, Senior Market Analyst at Signify Research
We're only halfway through 2025 and, while no blockbuster vendor announcements have landed yet, there are plenty of signals suggesting my prediction is panning out.
University hospitals are routinely posting roles requiring expertise in both multi-omic data and digital pathology – an early sign of convergence in academic research settings. Genomics England’s Cancer 2.0 initiative is also underway, combining genomic and clinical data with digital pathology and radiology in a unified, cloud-based research platform. Similarly, Cancer Research Horizons’ partnership with Histofy is leveraging multi-omics and digital pathology data to develop AI tools for personalised colorectal cancer treatment.
Globally, we’ve seen several roundtables from experts in the industry emerge to talk about the benefits of integrating such information in patient settings. The trajectory is clear: digital pathology and genomics are now evolving as complementary pillars of next-gen precision diagnostics and treatment.
Prediction: A tighter connection between life sciences and diagnostics driven by precision medicine
By Nathan Buchbinder, Chief Strategy Officer at Proscia
We are indeed seeing the lines between life sciences and diagnostics blur as precision medicine drives a closer connection between the two – just as predicted. Biopharma’s growing demand for real-world data is accelerating digital pathology adoption in diagnostic laboratories, not just to improve operational efficiency, but to create strategic value. These digital laboratories are stepping into new roles as active collaborators in drug development, generating high-value data and deploying image-based assays for use cases like trial recruitment and predictive diagnostics.
At the same time, the business case for diagnostic laboratories is expanding to include new revenue opportunities and deeper clinical impact, further fueling digital pathology’s momentum.
Prediction: Widespread adoption of digital pathology to elevate the field
By Sajjad Malik, Medical Director of Digital Pathology at HNL Lab Medicine
Our group has been using digital pathology for just under a year now, and we are nearing the point of going fully glassless for surgical pathology. While adoption rates vary among individual pathologists, I can speak from our collective experience to validate my prediction. Most of us appreciate the benefits of our digital platform – particularly the ease of sharing cases and the flexibility of remote work, which have significantly accelerated our transition to a digital workflow.
We are now exploring AI applications for breast and prostate specimens. If our initial efforts prove successful, we aim to integrate the algorithms into our routine practice by year’s end. Doing so would be a remarkable milestone, demonstrating how far we’ve come in such a short time. It would also highlight how anatomic pathology can leverage AI to elevate the field, enhancing patient care, supporting providers, and serving as a leading example of AI’s impact in medicine.
Prediction: AI will increasingly focus on workflow efficiency
By Daniel Roberts, Medical Director, ePathology at Cleveland Clinic Laboratories
I think we are starting to see more interest in AI tools aimed toward streamlining laboratory and pathologist workflows. I'm seeing more scanning vendors interested in automating the quality assurance process, which is a tremendous strain on lab resources when performed manually. In addition, we continue to see active development of AI tools designed to aid pathologists performing time-consuming tasks such as mitotic figure quantification and Ki-67 index, and I expect that to continue.
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