Liron Pantanowitz
Chair and Professor of Pathology, UPMC/University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Biggest challenge in pathology? The biggest challenges in pathology at present are staffing shortages and financial constraints. With archaic laboratories resistant to adopting modern technology, and increasingly less pathology content included in the medical curriculum, it is also becoming more difficult to recruit talented young doctors to enter the field of pathology.
Exciting developments and trends? Despite these difficulties, leveraging some of the key developments in pathology over the past decade, such as molecular pathology/precision medicine and the use of computational pathology/AI, hold promise to overcome these obstacles. Both generative and non-generative AI are transforming the field of pathology with respect to clinical service (e.g. diagnostic accuracy, prognostic predictions, tailoring treatment plans for individual patients), research, and education.
Qualities of innovative thinkers? Despite technologic hurdles, the cost of data storage and deploying digital pathology, as well as achieving regulatory acceptance, one of the major challenges I believe we still need to overcome is the mindset of pathologists. A fundamental quality of an innovative thinker is scientific curiosity. Curiosity is a mindset. Pathologists therefore need to embrace their curiosity and be open to think outside the box to pave the way for innovation.
