Liron Pantanowitz, MD, PhD, MHA

Chair of the Department of Pathology, Maud L. Menten Professor of Pathology

Dr. Liron Pantanowitz is the Maud Menten Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh. He received his BScHons, Medical Degree, and PhD from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. He subsequently completed his anatomical and clinical pathology residency training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard in Boston. He then completed a hematopathology fellowship at Harvard and Cytopathology fellowship at Baystate Medical Center, Tufts University. He is board certified by the American Board of Pathology in AP/CP, Cytopathology and Clinical Informatics. Dr. Pantanowitz has also completed his MHA from Ohio University. He joined UPMC/Pitt in 2010 where he became the Vice Chair for Pathology Informatics and Director of Cytopathology. In 2020 he moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan as a Professor in the Department of Pathology and Director of Anatomical Pathology at the University of Michigan. He returned to Pittsburgh in 2023 to Chair the Department of Pathology at UPMC/Pitt. He has been listed several times as a top doctor in the Pittsburgh Magazine and Pittsburgh Business Times.

Clinical Interests

Pathology Informatics

Dr. Pantanowitz is a pioneer in the field of pathology informatics. He has dedicated over two decades to working in this innovative field. His interest is specifically focused on advancing Digital Pathology and Computational Pathology. His PhD was about the feasibility of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Anatomical Pathology. He cofounded the Journal of Pathology Informatics, published several leading textbooks in this field, and helped establish the Pathology Informatics Essential for Residents (PIER) curriculum. He served as the president of the Association for Pathology Informatics (API) and president of the Digital Pathology Association (DPA). He was also instrumental in publishing many white papers and guidelines related to whole slide imaging validation, telepathology, quantitative image analysis, machine learning, computational pathology, and academic-industry partnership.

Cytopathology

Dr. Pantanowitz is a practicing cytopathologist who is well-known in his field around the world. He has served as the president of the American Society of Cytopathology (ASC). He has also written several cytology textbooks and contributed to hundreds of cytology articles published in the peer reviewed literature. He is a member of the editorial board for JASC, Cancer Cytopathology, Diagnostic Cytopathology, Acta Cytologica, Cytojournal and Cytopathology.

Awards
2005 - Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology Research Award
2011 & 2016 – American Society of Cytopathology New Frontiers in Cytology Award
2012 & 2014 - Outstanding Pathology Faculty Research Mentor at UPMC
2017 - College of American Pathologists President’s Honor Award
2018 - Association for Pathology Informatics Distinguished Service Award
2019 - Association for Pathology Informatics Lifetime Achievement Award
2023 - University of Pittsburgh Maud Menten Distinguished Professor
Research Interests

Dr. Pantanowitz’ research interests include pathology informatics (specifically digital pathology and artificial intelligence) and non-gynecological cytopathology. He has received grant funding since 2003. He is an active member of 22 professional and scientific societies. He is an Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pathology Informatics, serves on the editorial board for 9 other reputable pathology journals, and peer reviews ad hoc for other journals. He has published 17 textbooks, written 126 book chapters, and contributed to over 500 abstracts presented at scientific meetings. He has been invited to give over 400 talks, courses and workshops worldwide. He is a proponent for entrepreneurial activity and has participated in many industry sponsored research projects, two spinoff companies, holds 4 patents, and is an inventor of digital pathology medical devices.

Representative Publications

Dr. Pantanowitz is widely published with over 600 peer reviewed publications. View Dr. Pantanowitz’s publications in PubMed.

Select Pathology Informatics articles:

  1. Rhoads DD, Sintchenko V, Rauch CA, Pantanowitz L. Clinical microbiology informatics. Clin Microbiol Rev 2014; 27(4):1025-1047. PM25278581
  2. Henricks WH, Karcher DS, Harrison JH, Sinard JH, Riben MW, Boyer PJ, Plath S, Thompson A, Pantanowitz L. Pathology Informatics Essentials for Residents: a flexible informatics curriculum linked to accreditation council for Graduate Medical Education milestones. J Pathol Inform 2016; 7:27. PM27563486
  3. Roy S, Nikiforov Y, Nikiforova M, Routbort M, Pfeifer J, Carter A, Najarajan R, LaFramboise W, Pantanowitz L. Next generation sequencing informatics: challenges and strategies for implementation in a clinical environment. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2016; 140(9):958-975. PM26901284
  4. Hanna M, Pantanowitz L. The role of informatics in patient-centered care and personalized medicine. Cancer Cytopathol 2017; 125(S6):494-501. PM28609000
  5. Hanna M, Nine J, Ishtiaque A, Pantanowitz L. Augmented reality technology using Microsoft HoloLens in anatomic pathology. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2018; 142(5):638-644. PM29384690
  6. Stram M, Gigliotti T, Hartman D, Pitkus A, Huff SM, Riben M, Henricks WH, Farahani N, Pantanowitz L. Logical observation identifiers names and codes for laboratories. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2020; 144(2):229-239. PM31219342
  7. Dahl J, Myers JL, Pantanowitz L. Data-driven decision making in support of managing pathology laboratories. AJSP: Reviews & Reports 2022; 27:158-163.
  8. Pantanowitz L, Bui MM, Chauhan C, ElGabry E, Hassell L, Li Z, Parwani AV, Salama ME, Sebastian MM, Tulman D, Vepa S, Becich MJ. Rules of Engagement: Promoting Academic-Industry Partnership in the Era of Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence. Academic Pathology 2022; 9(1):100026. PMID: 35669406

Select Digital Pathology articles:

  1. Farahani N, Braun A, Jutt D, Huffman T, Reder N, Liu Z, Yagi Y, Pantanowitz L. Three-dimensional imaging and scanning: current and future applications for pathology. J Pathol Inform 2017; 8:36. PM28966836
  2. Hartman DJ, Ferris R, Rimm D, Ahmed F, Pantanowitz L. Utility of CD8 score by automated quantitative image analysis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oral Oncol 2018; 86: 278-287. PM30409313
  3. Kalra S, Tizhoosh H, Choi C, Shah S, Diamandis P, Campbell CJV, Pantanowitz L. Yottixel - An image search engine for large archives of histopathology whole slide images. Medical Image Analysis 2020; 65:101757. PMID: 32623275
  4. Baskota SU, Wiley C, Pantanowitz L. Next generation robotic microscopy for intraoperative teleneuropathology consultation. J Path Informatics 2020; 11:13. PM32477619
  5. Xing J, Monaco SE, Cuda J, Pantanowitz L. Telecytology rapid on-site evaluation: diagnostic challenges, technical issues and lessons learned. Cytopathology 2020; 31(5):402-410. PMID: 31984572
  6. Pantanowitz L, Harrington S. Experience reviewing digital Pap tests using a gallery of images. J Pathol Informatics 2021; 12:7. PMID: 34012711
  7. Pantanowitz L, Michelow P, Hazelhurst S, Kalra S, Choi C, Shah S, Babaie M, Tizhoosh HR. A digital pathology solution to resolve the tissue floater conundrum. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2021; 145:359-364. PMID: 32886759
  8. Rizzo PC, Caputo A, Maddalena E, Caldonazzi N, Girolami I, Dei Tos AP, Scarpa A, Sbaraglia M, Brunelli M, Gobbo S, Marletta S, Pantanowitz L, Della Mea V, Eccher A. Digital pathology world tour. Digit Health 2023; 9:20552076231194551. PMID: 37654717
  9. Mastrosimini MG, Eccher A, Nottegar A, Montin U, Scarpa A, Pantanowitz L, Girolami I. WSI validation studies in breast and gynecological pathology. Pathol Res Pract. 2022; 240:154191. PMID: 36356336

Select Artificial Intelligence articles:

  1. Sanghavi A, Callenberg K, Allen E, Pantanowitz L. Performance of an artificial intelligence algorithm for reporting urine cytopathology. Cancer Cytopathol 2019; 127(10):658-666. PM31412169
  2. Pantanowitz L, Quiroga-Garza GM, Bien L, Heled R, Laifenfeld D, Linhart C, Sandbank J, Albrecht Shach A, Shalev V, Vecsler M, Michelow P, Hazelhurst S, Dhir R. Clinical validation and deployment of an AI-based algorithm for prostate cancer diagnosis in whole slide images of core needle biopsies. Lancet Digital Health 202; 2(8):e407-e416, 2020. PMID: 33328045
  3. Pantanowitz L, Hartman D, Qi Y, Cho EY, Suh B, Paeng K, Dhir R, Michelow P, Hazelhurst S, Song SY, Cho SY. Accuracy and efficiency of an artificial intelligence tool when counting breast mitoses. Diag Pathol 2020; 51(1):80. PMID: 32622359
  4. Yousif M, van Diest PJ, Laurinavicius A, Rimm D, van der Laak J, Madabhushi A, Schnitt S, Pantanowitz L. Artificial intelligence applied to breast pathology. Virchows Archiv 2022; 480(1):191-209. PMID: 34791536
  5. Yousif M, Huang Y, Scialis A, Kleer CG, Pang J, Smola B, Naik K, McClintock DS, Zhao L, Kunju LP, Balis UGJ, Pantanowitz L. Quantitative image analysis as an adjunct to manual scoring of ER, PgR, and HER2 in invasive breast carcinoma. Am J Clin Pathol 2022; 157(6):899-907. PMID: 34875014
  6. Marletta S, Eccher A, Antonini P, Santonicco N, Girolami I, Pantanowitz L. Artificial Intelligence-Based Tools Applied to Pathological Diagnosis of Microbiological Diseases. Pathology – Research and Practice. 2023; 243:154362. PMID: 36758417
  7. Cheng J, Balis U, McClintock D, Abel J, Pantanowitz L. Challenges in the development, deployment and regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) in anatomical pathology. Am J Pathol 2021; 191(10):1684-1692. PMID: 33245914
  8. Jackson B, Ye Y, Roy S, Botkin J, Crawford JM, Becich M, Pantanowitz L. The ethics of artificial intelligence in pathology and laboratory medicine: principles and practice. Academic Pathology 2021; 8:2374289521990784. PMID: 33644301

Select Anatomical Pathology articles:

  1. Pantanowitz L, Thompson LDR, Rossi DE. Diagnostic approach to fine needle aspirations of cystic lesions of the salivary gland. Head Neck Pathol 2018; 12(4):548-561. PM29524082
  2. Rossi ED, Faquin WC, Pantanowitz L. Cytologic features of aggressive variants of follicular-derived thyroid carcinoma. Cancer Cytopathol 2019; 127(7):432-446. PM31150164
  3. Upadhyay Baskota S, Monaco SE, Xing J, Pantanowitz L. Peritheliomatous pattern: a diagnostic clue for diagnosing metastatic melanoma in cytology. Cancer Cytopathol 2020; 128(4):260-268. PM31985897
  4. Satturwar S, Rekhtman N, Lin O, Pantanowitz L. An update on touch preparations of small biopsies. J Am Society Cytopathol 2020; 9(5):322-331. PMID: 32417160
  5. Satturwar S, Fowkes M, Farver C, Wilson AM, Eccher A, Girolami I, Pujadas E, Bryce C, Salem F, El Jamal SE, Mondifi AP, Peterson B, Gordon RE, Reidy J, Fraggetta F, Marshall D, Pantanowitz L. Post-mortem findings associated with SARS-CoV-2: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Surg Pathol 2021; 45(5):587-603. PMID: 33481385
  6. Girolami I, Eccher A, Marletta S, Brunelli M, Graziano P, Pisapia P, Malapelle U, Troncone G, Scarpa A, Huang T, Pantanowitz L. Evidence-based diagnostic performance of novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma in effusion cytology. Cancer Cytopathol 2022; 130(2):96-109. PMID: 34478240
  7. Satturwar S, Girolami I, Munari E, Ciompi F, Eccher A, Pantanowitz L. Program death ligand-1 immunocytochemistry in lung cancer cytological samples: A systematic review. Diagnostic Cytopathol 2022; 50(6):313-323. PMID: 35293692
  8. Harms PW, Frankel TL, Moutafi M, Rao A, Rimm DL, Taube J, Thomas D, Chan MP, Pantanowitz L. Multiplex immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence: A practical update for pathologists. Modern Pathology. 2023; 36(7):100197. PMID: 37105494
  9. Rottmann D, Abdulfatah E, Pantanowitz L. Molecular testing of soft tissue tumors. Diagnostic Cytopathol 2023; 51:12-25. PMID: 35808975