Speaker: Jeff Nirschl, MD, PhD | Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Date: Tuesday, February 25th, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM Central Time
Location: Zoom
Title: “Next-Generation Neuropathology: Unsupervised Learning, Active Learning, and Spatial ‘omics in Alzheimer’s Research”
Learning Objectives:
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- Leverage Unsupervised Learning for Neuropathology
- Explain how unsupervised learning methods, including variational autoencoders (VAEs), enable automated feature extraction and disease subtyping in Alzheimer’s research.
- Enhance Pathologist-AI Collaboration with Active Learning
- Demonstrate how active learning frameworks improve model performance while minimizing annotation effort, optimizing human-in-the-loop diagnostic workflows.
- Advance Neuropathological Insights with Computational Methods
- Explore how deep learning and computational pathology can refine histological analysis, improve reproducibility, and uncover novel patterns in neurodegenerative disease.
- Leverage Unsupervised Learning for Neuropathology
Bio: Dr. Jeffrey Nirschl is an Assistant Professor of Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Neuropathology Core Leader for the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC). A physician-scientist specializing in neuropathology and computational pathology, Dr. Nirschl integrates artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision, and spatial transcriptomics to advance understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). He earned his M.D.-Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, where he investigated neuronal transport mechanisms and genetic parkinsonism under Dr. Erika Holzbaur. His research employs high-dimensional imaging, deep learning, and bioinformatics to enhance diagnostic precision and identify novel molecular markers of neurodegeneration.
Dr. Nirschl completed his residency in Anatomic Pathology and fellowship in Neuropathology at Stanford University, where he also pursued postdoctoral research in Biomedical Data Science, developing AI-driven whole-slide image analysis and spatial transcriptomic profiling for neurodegenerative diseases. His work continues at UW-Madison, where he is establishing a computational pathology research program to improve biomarker discovery, disease classification, and mechanistic insights into ADRD. His research has been published in leading journals such as Nature Communications, PLoS One, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and he has received multiple fellowships and awards for his contributions to digital pathology and AI-driven neuropathology.