Centre for Pathology

Histopathology, the study of disease in tissue, provides a visual aspect to translational medicine by investigating cell-cell interaction within tissue sections by H&E sections and immunohistochemistry to identify cellular detail.

In cancer, the tumour grade and stage can be compared to gene expression, response to treatment (chemo &/or radiotherapy) and in inflammatory disorders, the grade and type of inflammation & tissue responses can be studied to correlate with postulated and in vitro mechanisms of damage. The department has PhD, MSc and BSc students working on a variety of projects, which require expertise in Histopathology.

Academic Histopathology, St Mary's Hospital

Dr Marjorie Walker, Reader and Honorary Consultant, Histopathology Department 

By definition, the functional bowel disorders (functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome) lack conventional histopathology markers.

Careful evaluation of immune cells usually associated with atopy and allergy, mast cells and eosinophils has shown a role for these cells in these disorders.

This study has been carried out in biopsies from a unique epidemiological study of normal Swedish subjects by endoscopy and biopsy of the upper gastrointestinal tract (the Kalixanda study).

Duodenal pathology has shown novel pathways that lead to symptoms in functional gastrointestinal disorders in this group, as well as studying epidemiological pathology of eosinophilic oesophagitis and coeliac disease.

In looking at novel markers in prostate cancer to predict outcome, e.g. Hey1, FUS, WNT signalling, DKK3, in conjunction with Professor Waxman’s group Hammersmith Hospital, histopathology immunohistochemistry is helpful to assess tumour microarrays (TMAs) for validity of markers.

Dr Rob Goldin, Reader and Honorary Consultant, Histopathology Department 

Working with the Department of Hepatology and the MRC Mammalian Genetics unit in Harwell, I am involved in a program of developing new mouse models of liver disease. A number of models of fatty liver disease have already been characterised and, based on this work, and the genes involved in the switch from simple fatty change to fatty liver hepatitis, with inflammation and fibrosis, identified. The role of these genes in humans in this increasingly important liver disease is now being investigated. With the Department of Surgery I am developing new approaches to predicting and assessing the histological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in gastro-intestinal cancer. 

Teaching 

The Centre for Pathology provides core teaching to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. 

In years one and two in Molecules Cells and Disease, two courses are run by the centre: “Cellular Pathology” and “Cancer as a Disease” with major contributions to other themes. 

Pathologists contribute widely to diverse subjects in BSc teaching and also take students for laboratory projects.  

In Year 5 the pathology theme has a substantial histopathology input and students on clinical firms will attend the MDTs in which pathology plays a major role. 

The centre runs the Cellular Pathology Pathway of the MRes in Clinical Research and successful short courses for postgraduate specialists in histopathology topics on the Hammersmith Campus. 

Herbert Spencer Teaching Library

Click here for the Herbert Spencer Teaching Library, which is available for academic teaching and research.

Division of Experimental Medicine
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
Hammersmith Hospital
Du Cane Road
London
W12 0NN
Tel: 44 (0) 20 8383 3292
Email: Professor Gordon Stamp

Publications of Anthony Guy Everson Pearse (1916-2003)

Click here for a copy of Tribute Article in memory of Anthony Guy Everson Pearse  (Professor of Histochemistry, Hammersmith Hospital and Royal Postgraduate Medical School, University of London) written by Susan Van Noorden, Imperial College London and a list of his publications  compiled by Peter J Stoward, University of Dundee.