Conexiant
Login
  • The Analytical Scientist
  • The Cannabis Scientist
  • The Medicine Maker
  • The Ophthalmologist
  • The Pathologist
  • The Traditional Scientist
The Pathologist
  • Explore Pathology

    Explore

    • Latest
    • Insights
    • Case Studies
    • Opinion & Personal Narratives
    • Research & Innovations
    • Product Profiles

    Featured Topics

    • Molecular Pathology
    • Infectious Disease
    • Digital Pathology

    Issues

    • Latest Issue
    • Archive
  • Subspecialties
    • Oncology
    • Histology
    • Cytology
    • Hematology
    • Endocrinology
    • Neurology
    • Microbiology & Immunology
    • Forensics
    • Pathologists' Assistants
  • Training & Education

    Career Development

    • Professional Development
    • Career Pathways
    • Workforce Trends

    Educational Resources

    • Guidelines & Recommendations
    • App Notes

    Events

    • Webinars
    • Live Events
  • Events
    • Live Events
    • Webinars
  • Profiles & Community

    People & Profiles

    • Power List
    • Voices in the Community
    • Authors & Contributors
  • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
Subscribe
Subscribe

False

The Pathologist / Issues / 2021 / Aug / Driving Digitization
Infectious Disease Profession Digital and computational pathology Professional Development

Driving Digitization

We asked pathology and laboratory medicine professionals to tell us how their professional and personal lives have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic

By Talat Zehra 08/25/2021 1 min read

Share

Two years ago, life was going smoothly for me. I taught pathology to medicine and dentistry undergraduates; I practiced as a junior consultant at a lab in the evenings; I had a family with three cute children. Then, suddenly, COVID-19 arrived.

In-person activities stopped abruptly and we transitioned to new norms to keep our work and personal lives afloat. The world witnessed a rapid transition to digital techniques in every area of life – and pathology did not lag behind. Although digital techniques were not new to the field, many pathologists were previously reluctant to leave behind decades of experience with traditional microscopes. The resistance was even greater in developing regions because the cost of digital tools often places them beyond the reach of low-resource organizations.

But, when the pandemic arrived, digital pathology rose to the occasion. Pathologists from all over the world began to look for digital answers that allowed them to work from anywhere rather than requiring their physical presence in the lab. It’s my hope that the benefits of this transition will extend far beyond COVID-19. For example, once a slide is digitized, it can be easily shared to request second opinions, share knowledge, archive, or manage data for research purposes or to make disease models and predict outcomes for specific population segments – another step toward personalized medicine.

What of my personal pathology journey? Unfortunately, it was significantly affected. I left my lab job and restricted myself to online university activity only so that I could support my children’s online learning. Although these changes were necessary, I missed my lab practice and the on-the-job learning it gave me. To fill that gap, I, too, turned to digital pathology. I joined working groups and conducted a nationwide survey with the help of colleagues to raise awareness of digital pathology in Pakistan. I also collaborated with an AI-based tissue image analysis software company who not only provided me with a demo version of their product, but also trained me to work with AI-based software.

Since then, I’ve tried to highlight the obstacles low-resource regions face in adopting digital pathology on many international forums. Although the developing world contains more than two-thirds of the global population and the bulk of its diseases, its access to modern techniques is extremely limited. Now is the best time for technology innovators to come into these parts of the world and collaborate with pathologists and laboratory medicine professionals there – resulting in a win for all of humanity.

Newsletters

Receive the latest pathology news, personalities, education, and career development – weekly to your inbox.

Newsletter Signup Image

About the Author(s)

Talat Zehra

Talat Zehra is Assistant Professor and consultant histopathologist at Jinnah Sind Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.

More Articles by Talat Zehra

Explore More in Pathology

Dive deeper into the world of pathology. Explore the latest articles, case studies, expert insights, and groundbreaking research.

False

Advertisement

Recommended

False

Related Content

The Viral Frontier
Infectious Disease
The Viral Frontier

January 23, 2024

1 min read

The latest on the UK COVID-19 inquiry

What’s New in Infectious Disease? (December 2021)
Infectious Disease
What’s New in Infectious Disease?

December 23, 2021

1 min read

The latest research and news on COVID-19 and the infectious disease landscape

Immunology Insights
Infectious Disease
Immunology Insights

January 13, 2022

1 min read

The latest research in pathology and laboratory medicine

Pneumocystis Mysteries
Infectious Disease
Pneumocystis Mysteries

January 21, 2022

1 min read

What is the correct name for this pneumonia-causing pathogen?

False

The Pathologist
Subscribe

About

  • About Us
  • Work at Conexiant Europe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 Texere Publishing Limited (trading as Conexiant), with registered number 08113419 whose registered office is at Booths No. 1, Booths Park, Chelford Road, Knutsford, England, WA16 8GS.