NEJM AI Grand Rounds

Pixels to Protocols: Building the AI Future of Pathology with Dr. Faisal Mahmood

Apr 16, 2025

Dr. Faisal Mahmood, an Associate Professor of Pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, shares his groundbreaking work in AI and pathology. He discusses how foundational models can transform digital diagnostics and reflects on the power of open-source culture for innovation. Faisal explores the development of PathChat, a generative AI co-pilot, and its FDA breakthrough designation. He also ponders the future of patient-level models and the potential of AI to revolutionize healthcare through real-time data analysis.

35:23

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Faisal Mahmood

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Quick takeaways

Open-source collaboration in computational pathology has significantly accelerated innovation by inviting community feedback, enhancing data efficiency and pipeline improvements.

The development of multimodal generative AI tools like PathChat is reshaping diagnostic workflows in pathology, enabling real-time interaction and improved precision for pathologists.

Deep dives

Impact of Open Source on Computational Pathology

Making the code base publicly available has served as a significant catalyst for advancements in computational pathology. By sharing the Clam model with the broader community, numerous contributors provided valuable feedback and ideas for improvement, which previously could not have been imagined. This community engagement led to systematic enhancements in the pipeline and computational efficiency. The principle of open-source collaboration underscores the transformative potential of shared resources in driving innovation.

Intro

2min

Exploring the Intersection of AI and Pathology

4min

Advancements in Digital Pathology AI

13min

Innovating Pathology: PathChat and FDA Breakthrough

6min

Rapid Insights: The Lightning Round of AI and Literature

2min

Exploring Aspirations and AI in Healthcare

8min

Dr. Faisal Mahmood, Associate Professor of Pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, joins hosts Raj Manrai and Andy Beam on NEJM AI Grand Rounds to explore the frontier of computational pathology. From pioneering foundational models for whole slide imaging to commercializing a multimodal generative AI copilot for pathology, Faisal shares how his team is redefining what’s possible in digital diagnostics. He discusses the power of open-source culture in accelerating innovation, his lab’s FDA breakthrough designation, and how generative AI could trigger widespread digitization in pathology. Faisal also reflects on his creative approach to problem selection and offers a vision for a future shaped by patient-level foundation models and agent-led computational biology.

Transcript.