George K. Michalopoulos, MD, PhD, an award-winning pathologist and researcher, is professor and chairman of the Department of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
He is a pioneer in the study of amolecular pathways involved in liver regeneration, with a particular emphasis on the role of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor (cMET) and the role of extracellular matrix. In honor of his distinguished research career, Dr. Michalopoulos received the 2009 American Society for Investigative Pathology Rous-Whipple Award.
As chairman of the Pathology Department at UPMC, Dr. Michalopoulos is in charge of the hospitals’ laboratories and the processing and diagnosis of biopsy materials. The department is the largest academic clinical organization of its kind in the country, with 175 faculty members.
As a member of the scientific advisory board of Omnyx, a new company jointly owned by UPMC and GE Healthcare, Dr. Michalopoulos is involved in the development of innovative digital pathology solutions. Working closely with UPMC’s pathologists, Omnyx is creating an electronic platform that will digitize biopsy images previously seen only through the use of glass slides and microscopes. The system will allow clinicians to share images virtually, interpret results using advanced algorithms and reduce costs associated with diagnosis.
A native of Greece, Dr. Michalopoulos received his medical degree from Athens University Medical School in Athens, Greece, and his pathology training and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.