© greenbutterfly – stock.adobe.com
Article • Pros and cons of academic-industry partnerships
Computational pathology: Building bridges between labs and business
Academic-industry partnerships are playing a crucial role in advancing computational pathology. At the Digital Pathology and AI Congress: Europe in London in December, Liron Pantanowitz outlined the benefits and risks of such collaborations – and why he believes the advantages outweigh the potential pitfalls.
By Mark Nicholls
Photo courtesy of Dr Pantanowitz
Pantanowitz, who is Professor and Chair of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh, discussed these academic-industry partnerships (AIPs) in a keynote speech titled 'Computational Pathology as a Strategic Asset: Leadership Lessons from the Frontlines'. He also presented the creation of a Computational Pathology division at the university in 2024 and how his Office of Collaborative Pathology serves as a new model for innovation.
While he noted that the advent of electronic health records and digital slides make healthcare a 'perfect environment' for AI applications, he said that concerns remain about security, transparency, explainability, reimbursement, regulatory aspects and liability – such as who is responsible when AI makes an error – as well as questions over informed patient consent when AI is involved in care. 'Computational pathology is absolutely essential to every pathology lab and practice but we still do not have guidelines on how to validate AI in clinical practice,' he added.
A perfect opportunity for industry
AIPs in pathology are important for academic medical centres such as Pittsburgh in encouraging innovation and helping get products through regulatory processes. 'Such partnerships are a perfect opportunity for industry to come to medical centres, test their products and get feedback and for training of AI algorithms,' Pantanowitz said.
It is an ethical way for companies to get access to data, get work published, and is a cost-effective way to conduct research. But there are risks associated with it
Liron Pantanowitz
For academia, specifically, they stimulate innovation and translation with a shared risk and pathways to commercialise products. They are also a way to expand funding opportunities, broaden faculty and trainee experiences, and strengthen institutional reputation and competitive advantage. He gave the example of Pittsburgh medical centre securing $10 million of investment from partnering with information technology firm Leidos over an AI disease detection project.
At the other end of the spectrum, industry benefits from working with pathology labs and academia through access to novel technologies, knowledge, and cutting-edge science, as well as to experts and a talented pipeline of trainees. 'It is an ethical way for companies to get access to data, get work published, and is a cost-effective way to conduct research. But there are risks associated with it,' Pantanowitz said.
These risks can include conflicts of interest, concerns about undermining academic standards, threats to academic freedom and integrity, a risk of bad publicity when things do not turn out as planned, as well as erosion of trust and arguments over intellectual property and data ownership. Therefore, the expert underlined the importance of disclosure and conflict of interest at all stages, especially over finance.
Entrepreneurship encouraged
Academia and industry often have different priorities, Pantanowitz noted, but in his opinion, the benefits outweigh the risks. 'A lot of pathologists do not like working with industry, but I think that is an old-fashioned approach,' he said. 'I encourage faculty and trainees to be entrepreneurial.'
Such steps can help them file patents, be part of new AI start-ups, and translate their research into real-world solutions as they take them from the lab to the marketplace. 'A culture of innovation is important; it enhances a department's reputation, attracts funding and strategic partnerships, and encourages problem-driven research.'
Pantanowitz explained that the University of Pittsburgh has an innovation office that handles this process from the start of an idea, covers issues of intellectual property, commercialisation assessment and negotiating licences. 'That is the environment in which I practice – one which encourages innovation and is not afraid of working with industry,' he added.
Collaborative pathology
The expert then outlined the various institutions the university has developed under his leadership to advance computational pathology and their key benefits. These focused on the creation of the Division of Computational Pathology & Informatics; the Computational Pathology and AI Center of Excellence (CPACE); a Digital Pathology Research Center (DPRC); and Office of Collaborative Pathology (OCP). He also pointed to the establishment of the AI Data Commons (ADC) Alliance to create a large image and data repository for collaboration with a range of global partners.
The various sectors of the Division of Computational Pathology nurture talented individuals, support innovation and create an environment to stimulate AIPs, develop and deploy AI tools, and lead AI studies which all help future-proof the department. The DPRC supports internal research and collaboration with industry partners, vendors and labs, while the OCP streamlines engagement with AIPs and has worked with nearly 40 companies in its first year.
Profile:
Dr Liron Pantanowitz is the Maud Menten Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and founder of the university’s Division of Computational Pathology & Informatics. He joined UPMC/Pitt in 2010 as Vice Chair for Pathology Informatics and Director of Cytopathology before moving to the University of Michigan in 2020 as a Professor in the Department of Pathology and Director of Anatomical Pathology. He returned to Pittsburgh in 2023 to Chair the Department of Pathology at UPMC/Pitt.
04.06.2026
