Research at NPIC
The National Pathology Imaging Co-operative (NPIC) provides a national platform to support research in digital pathology and AI. We bring together NHS infrastructure, academic expertise, and technical capabilities to support rigorous, real-world investigations into how digital technologies can improve diagnostic practice and patient outcomes.
As a key delivery partner in the NHS rollout of digital pathology, we have developed systems that support routine clinical deployments and enable high-quality research.. This dual-purpose approach means NPIC can drive research and innovations and ensure these can be scaled and applied in clinical settings with ease.
We collaborate with NHS, academia, and industry on broad portfolio of research projects. Our work spans algorithm development and validation, health economics, data curation, system usability, and the transformation of clinical workflows.
What We Offer
What We Do
Our capabilities support discovery science, translational research, and real-world studies.
We provide expertise and infrastructure across several key research areas, including::
- Digital pathology infrastructure and high volume whole slide imaging scanning
- AI development, evaluation and deployment
- Dataset curation and data sharing (including Secure Data Environment-based initiatives)
- Human–computer interaction and system usability in digital pathology and AI
- Quality assurance and technical validation of digital systems
- Clinical -specific research across a range of data from cancer and other diseases
In addition to research support, we offer tailored workshops to share knowledge and build capacity across partners.
We are guided by our Patient and Public Advisory Group, ensuring that patient perspectives inform and direct our research and innovation portfolio.
Infrastructure
NPIC operates the AI FORGE, a national-scale digital pathology scanning facility, featuring systems from multiple vendors. This supports digitisation and high-volume research scanning.
Our digital research systems interface with our secure data environment (SDE), allowing for scalable analysis.
Learn more about our SDE project
We have a dedicated Quality Coordination Centre team who focus on the reproducibility and technical assurance of digital pathology data essential for robust clinical research.
Visit the Quality Coordination Centre page
Contact Us
We actively welcome collaboration with academic researchers, industry partners, and healthcare organisations. If you are interested in digital pathology research, AI in diagnostics, or clinical implementation of health technologies, please see the contact us section below.
Expertise & Team
Our team includes clinicians, imaging scientists, informaticians, postdoctoral researchers, and doctoral students. We host clinical research fellows, scientific leadership fellows, and technical experts, reflecting the cross-disciplinary nature of this work.
The NPIC team offer dedicated technical support for research involving machine learning infrastructure, data extraction, algorithm deployment, and computational pathology tooling, enabling high-quality, scalable research in real-world settings.
A selection of NPIC publications
We frequently publish peer reviewed evidence on a range of digital health and pathology topics. This is a small selection of some important publications from NPIC:
- Matthews, G.A., McGenity, C., Bansal, D. Treanor, D. Public evidence on AI products for digital pathology. npj Digit. Med. 7, 300 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-024-01294-3
- Humphries, M.P., Kaye, D., Stankeviciute, G., Halliwell, J., Wright, A.I., Bansal, D., Brettle, D. and Treanor, D. (2024), Development of a multi-scanner facility for data acquisition for digital pathology artificial intelligence. J. Pathol., 264: 80-89. https://doi.org/10.1002/path.6326
- McGenity C, Clarke EL, Jennings C, Matthews G, Cartlidge C, Freduah-Agyemang H, Stocken DD, Treanor D. Artificial intelligence in digital pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy. npj Digital Medicine. 2024 May 4;7(1):114. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-024-01106-8
- Jennings CN, Humphries MP, Wood S, Jadhav M, Chabra R, Brown C, Chan G, Kaye D, Bansal D, Colquhoun C, Merzouki N. Bridging the gap with the UK genomics pathology imaging collection. Nature Medicine. 2022 Jun;28(6):1107-8. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01798-z
- McKay F, Williams BJ, Prestwich G, Bansal D, Hallowell N, Treanor D. The ethical challenges of artificial intelligence-driven digital pathology. J Pathol Clin Res. 2022 May;8(3):209-216. doi: 10.1002/cjp2.263. Epub 2022 Feb 17. PMID: 35174655; PMCID: PMC8977272
- Wright, A. I., Dunn, C. M., Hale, M., Hutchins, G. G. A., Treanor, D. E. (2021) The effect of quality control on accuracy of digital pathology image analysis. IEEE J Biomed Health Inform., 25(2):307-314. doi: 10.1109/JBHI.2020.3046094.
- Wright, A. I., Dunn, C. M., Clarke, E. L., Williams, B. J., Brettle, D., Treanor, D. E. (2020) A point of use quality assurance tool for digital pathology remote working. J. Pathol. Inform., 2020:11:17. doi: 10.4103/jpi.jpi_25_20
- Goacher E, Randell R, Williams B, Treanor D. The diagnostic concordance of whole slide imaging and light microscopy: a systematic review. Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine. 2017 Jan 1;141(1):151-61. https://meridian.allenpress.com/aplm/article/141/1/151/65950/The-Diagnostic-Concordance-of-Whole-Slide-Imaging
- Williams BJ, DaCosta P, Goacher E, Treanor D. A systematic analysis of discordant diagnoses in digital pathology compared with light microscopy. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. 2017 Dec 1;141(12):1712-8. https://meridian.allenpress.com/aplm/article/141/12/1712/65715/A-Systematic-Analysis-of-Discordant-Diagnoses-in
- Clarke EL, Treanor D. Colour in digital pathology: a review. Histopathology. 2017 Jan;70(2):153-63. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/his.13079
Contact us
If you have any questions or are interested in our research services in digital pathology please get in touch.
Email: [email protected]
Address:
National Pathology Imaging Co-operative
Level 2, The Sir Robert Ogden Centre
St James’s University Hospital
Beckett Street
Leeds
LS9 7TF
Follow us
To keep up to date with the latest NPIC research developments please follow us on X at @NPICDigital @LeedsPathology @NPIC_AI or the National Pathology Imaging Co-operative on LinkedIn.