In this issue, we focus on PathLAKE's role in digitising NHS labs and developing AI tools.

Prof David Snead, Director of PathLAKE said:

“Having slides in a digital format means we can start to see how computers might help pathologists do their job. Artificial intelligence is being applied to pathology slides, just as in every other walk of life. PathLAKE is at the forefront of developing some of these AI algorithms and aims to provide a data lake of images to help other researchers to do the same. These tools will help provide faster more accurate reports to clinicians, which will help improve outcomes for patients in the future.”

Highlights include:

• PathLAKE launches a new animated video for patients and the public: What is computer assisted diagnosis?
• An update on PathLAKE Plus, which aims to deliver digital pathology and AI benefits to over 17 million NHS patients.
• An interview with Prof Emad Rakha about one of the most recent PathLAKE publications: “Current and future applications of artificial intelligence in pathology: a clinical perspective”.
• Recent events, including a conference report from the 8th Digital Pathology and AI Congress: Europe held in London in December.
• Update on the Computational Pathology seminar series hosted by the University of Warwick’s Tissue Image Analytics Centre. Recordings of the talks are now available on YouTube.

Throughout the newsletter there are links to more information, where you can find out more about PathLAKE's work.

Click PathLAKE Winter 2022 to download the newsletter.

PathLAKE is excited to launch a new video for patients and the public giving a brief introduction to computer assisted diagnosis.

With the help of animations, Dr John Guelke (an ethics researcher in Prof Tom Sorell’s group at the University of Warwick) explains what whole slide images of tissue are, and how the patterns found on whole slide images may indicate diseases, such as cancer.

Professor Tom Sorell, head of the Interdisciplinary Ethics Research Group at the University of Warwick and ethics lead for PathLAKE, said:

This video is intended to give patients and the general public an understandable brief introduction to computer assisted diagnostics. Patients were heavily consulted before the video was made, so it reflects their views.

Among other things, the video shows that the patterns on which diagnoses are based use annotations of whole slide images by expert human pathologists. Patients who think machine diagnosis is independent of expert human judgement should be reassured.

Another issue taken up by the video is the protection of patient identities associated with tissue samples captured by Whole Slide Images. This is another source of reassurance.

The video is on the PathLAKE YouTube channel.

We are excited to announce that PathLAKE has received funding of £13.5 million towards the PathLAKE Centre of Excellence!

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has emphasised the importance of supporting Artificial Intelligence and embracing technology to save lives.

Please see here for further details.

Follow twitter link here

Join us in the exciting 'Beat the Pathologist' Competition to learn exciting ways to annotate and explore digital pathology! Follow the link for more information & registration.

Opening 17/10/20

Closing 16/11/20

There are three categories:

Up to year 6 (primary)/ Y7-Y11 (secondary)/ Y12-Y13 (Sixth Form)

Prizes are awarded to the top three scorers in each category.

Welcome to the competition! This competition has been created for children to experiment and learn exciting ways to annotate.

Please follow the link here for further information.

There are three main levels:

1. Mild
2. Hot
3. Spicy

We would like to let you know that there are 4 postdoc positions available in our group on the development and optimization of deep learning based algorithms for the analysis of pathology images, with applications to early diagnosis and personalized treatment of cancer.

If you would like to learn more about them, please follow the links:

Research Fellow

Research Fellow

Research Fellow

Senior Research Fellow