Research

The Department of Pathology is deeply invested in scientific efforts to improve treatments in our field. Learn more about our department’s investigations below.

Message from the Vice Chair

"We are driven by a shared passion for discovery and a deep commitment to advancing human health through innovative research programs and collaborative partnerships among scientists and pathologists."

Peng Ji, MD, PhD
Vice Chair of Research 

Read Full Message

Areas of Research

Members of the Department of Pathology are defining the cellular and molecular basis of disease toward the development of new and improved strategies to diagnose and treat, inherited, acquired and infectious disorders. Learn more about the work being done in our labs via the descriptions below.

Affilated Research Centers and Institutes

The faculty members of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s Department of Pathology are engaged in research within the department and throughout Northwestern Medicine and Northwestern University. Our work throughout the community, including director appointments, illustrate the importance we put on scientific collaboration.

Research Cores

Core facilities provide cost-efficient access of state-of-the-art equipment, the most current technologies and expert technical advice to individual scientists.

Learn more about our affiliated cores

Recent Publications

Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates with features of both multidrug-resistance and hypervirulence have unexpectedly low virulence.

Kochan TJ, Nozick SH, Valdes A, Mitra SD, Cheung BH, Lebrun-Corbin M, Medernach RL, Vessely MB, Mills JO, Axline CMR, Nelson JA, VanGosen EM, Ward TJ, Ozer EA, van Duin D, Chen L, Kreiswirth BN, Long SW, Musser JM, Bulman ZP, Wunderink RG, Hauser AR.

Nat Commun. 2023 Dec 2;14(1):7962. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43802-1.

Risk Factors and Outcomes of Melanoma in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Hawryluk EB, Moustafa D, Barry KK, Bahrani E, Reusch DB, Brahmbhatt M, Chen L, Coughlin CC, Gerami P, Haddock E, Hook K, Humphrey SR, Kao PC, Kruse LL, Lawley LP, Mansour D, Marghoob AA, Nguyen J, Phung TL, Pope E, Raisanen T, Robinson S, Rogers T, Schmidt B, Tran G, Travis K, Wolner Z, London WB, Eichenfield LF, Huang J.

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023 Nov 29:S0190-9622(23)03238-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.10.067. Online ahead of print.

CRISPR screening identifies the deubiquitylase ATXN3 as a PD-L1-positive regulator for tumor immune evasion.

Wang S, Iyer R, Han X, Wei J, Li N, Cheng Y, Zhou Y, Gao Q, Zhang L, Yan M, Sun Z, Fang D.

J Clin Invest. 2023 Dec 1;133(23):e167728. doi: 10.1172/JCI167728.

A multicenter phase Ib trial of the histone deacetylase inhibitor entinostat in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms or acute myeloid leukemia refractory to hypomethylating agents.

Bewersdorf JP, Shallis RM, Sharon E, Park S, Ramaswamy R, Roe CE, Irish JM, Caldwell A, Wei W, Yacoub A, Madanat YF, Zeidner JF, Altman JK, Odenike O, Yerrabothala S, Kovacsovics T, Podoltsev NA, Halene S, Little RF, Piekarz R, Gore SD, Kim TK, Zeidan AM.

Ann Hematol. 2023 Dec 1. doi: 10.1007/s00277-023-05552-4. Online ahead of print.

Strong protective effect of the APOL1 p.N264K variant against G2-associated focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and kidney disease.

Gupta Y, Friedman DJ, McNulty MT, Khan A, Lane B, Wang C, Ke J, Jin G, Wooden B, Knob AL, Lim TY, Appel GB, Huggins K, Liu L, Mitrotti A, Stangl MC, Bomback A, Westland R, Bodria M, Marasa M, Shang N, Cohen DJ, Crew RJ, Morello W, Canetta P, Radhakrishnan J, Martino J, Liu Q, Chung WK, Espinoza A, Luo Y, Wei WQ, Feng Q, Weng C, Fang Y, Kullo IJ, Naderian M, Limdi N, Irvin MR, Tiwari H, Mohan S, Rao M, Dube GK, Chaudhary NS, Gutiérrez OM, Judd SE, Cushman M, Lange LA, Lange EM, Bivona DL, Verbitsky M, Winkler CA, Kopp JB, Santoriello D, Batal I, Pinheiro SVB, Oliveira EA, Simoes E Silva AC, Pisani I, Fiaccadori E, Lin F, Gesualdo L, Amoroso A, Ghiggeri GM, D'Agati VD, Magistroni R, Kenny EE, Loos RJF, Montini G, Hildebrandt F, Paul DS, Petrovski S, Goldstein DB, Kretzler M, Gbadegesin R, Gharavi AG, Kiryluk K, Sampson MG, Pollak MR, Sanna-Cherchi S.

Nat Commun. 2023 Nov 30;14(1):7836. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43020-9.

Strategies used for the COVID-OUT decentralized trial of outpatient treatment of SARS-CoV-2.

Avula N, Kakach D, Tignanelli CJ, Liebovitz DM, Nicklas JM, Cohen K, Puskarich MA, Belani HK, Buse JB, Klatt NR, Anderson B, Karger AB, Hartman KM, Patel B, Fenno SL, Reddy NV, Erickson SM, Boulware DR, Murray TA, Bramante CT; COVID-OUT Trial Team.

J Clin Transl Sci. 2023 Nov 7;7(1):e242. doi: 10.1017/cts.2023.668. eCollection 2023.

National and subnational burden of leukemia and its risk factors, 1990-2019: Results from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019.

Poopak A, Saeedi Moghaddam S, Esfahani Z, Keykhaei M, Rezaei N, Rezaei N, Rashidi MM, Ahmadi N, Abbasi-Kangevari M, Malekpour MR, Ghamari SH, Djalalinia S, Tavangar SM, Larijani B, Kompani F.

PLoS One. 2023 Nov 30;18(11):e0287917. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287917. eCollection 2023.

The Banff 2022 Kidney Meeting Report: Reappraisal of microvascular inflammation and the role of biopsy-based transcript diagnostics.

Naesens M, Roufosse C, Haas M, Lefaucheur C, Mannon RB, Adam BA, Aubert O, Böhmig GA, Callemeyn J, Clahsen-van Groningen M, Cornell LD, Demetris AJ, Drachenberg CB, Einecke G, Fogo AB, Gibson IW, Halloran P, Hidalgo LG, Horsfield C, Huang E, Kikić Ž, Kozakowski N, Nankivell B, Rabant M, Randhawa P, Riella LV, Sapir-Pichhadze R, Schinstock C, Solez K, Tambur AR, Thaunat O, Wiebe C, Zielinski D, Colvin R, Loupy A, Mengel M.

Am J Transplant. 2023 Oct 28:S1600-6135(23)00818-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ajt.2023.10.016. Online ahead of print.

Gene-educational attainment interactions in a multi-population genome-wide meta-analysis identify novel lipid loci.

de Las Fuentes L, Schwander KL, Brown MR, Bentley AR, Winkler TW, Sung YJ, Munroe PB, Miller CL, Aschard H, Aslibekyan S, Bartz TM, Bielak LF, Chai JF, Cheng CY, Dorajoo R, Feitosa MF, Guo X, Hartwig FP, Horimoto A, Kolčić I, Lim E, Liu Y, Manning AK, Marten J, Musani SK, Noordam R, Padmanabhan S, Rankinen T, Richard MA, Ridker PM, Smith AV, Vojinovic D, Zonderman AB, Alver M, Boissel M, Christensen K, Freedman BI, Gao C, Giulianini F, Harris SE, He M, Hsu FC, Kühnel B, Laguzzi F, Li X, Lyytikäinen LP, Nolte IM, Poveda A, Rauramaa R, Riaz M, Robino A, Sofer T, Takeuchi F, Tayo BO, van der Most PJ, Verweij N, Ware EB, Weiss S, Wen W, Yanek LR, Zhan Y, Amin N, Arking DE, Ballantyne C, Boerwinkle E, Brody JA, Broeckel U, Campbell A, Canouil M, Chai X, Chen YI, Chen X, Chitrala KN, Concas MP, de Faire U, de Mutsert R, de Silva HJ, de Vries PS, Do A, Faul JD, Fisher V, Floyd JS, Forrester T, Friedlander Y, Girotto G, Gu CC, Hallmans G, Heikkinen S, Heng CK, Homuth G, Hunt S, Ikram MA, Jacobs DR Jr, Kavousi M, Khor CC, Kilpeläinen TO, Koh WP, Komulainen P, Langefeld CD, Liang J, Liu K, Liu J, Lohman K, Mägi R, Manichaikul AW, McKenzie CA, Meitinger T, Milaneschi Y, Nauck M, Nelson CP, O… See abstract for full author list ➔

Front Genet. 2023 Nov 2;14:1235337. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1235337. eCollection 2023.

From principles to practice: Implementation of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for surgical pathology residency education in a large academic hospital.

Felicelli C, Gama A, Chornenkyy Y, Choy B, Blanco LZ Jr, Novo JE.

Acad Pathol. 2023 Nov 20;10(4):100097. doi: 10.1016/j.acpath.2023.100097. eCollection 2023 Oct-Dec.

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