San Mateo Chats
Next-Generation Pathology: How Is Technology Changing the Way We Diagnose Disease?
April 21, 2026 | 6:00–7:00 PM
Main Library – Oak Room
San Mateo Chats is a biotech speaker series that brings scientific leadership into civic space. Designed to connect the community with the region’s world-leading research institutions, the series explores how advances in science and technology are shaping the future of health, medicine, and society.
This year’s program features Dr. Lisa McGinnis, Director of Spatial and Digital Pathology in Research Pathology at Genentech.
Pathology—the study of disease through the examination of tissues and cells—is undergoing a technological transformation. New tools in imaging, computational analysis, and spatial biology now allow scientists to study how cells interact within the architecture of human tissue at unprecedented resolution. These advances are helping researchers better understand cancer, immune response, and other complex diseases while opening new pathways for diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. McGinnis will discuss how advances in technology are expanding the field of pathology and reshaping how scientists study disease.
About the Speaker
Lisa McGinnis, MD, PhD is a physician-scientist and Director of Spatial and Digital Pathology at Genentech. She leads a team that uses next-generation imaging and genomic technologies to study human tissue in extraordinary detail. By combining advanced microscopy, spatial transcriptomics (which shows where genes are active within tissues), and computational analysis, her group works to better understand how cancers and immune diseases develop — and how they can be treated more effectively.
Dr. McGinnis earned her MD-PhD in Immunology from Stanford University and completed medical training in pathology, the medical specialty focused on diagnosing disease by examining tissues and cells. Her work bridges medicine, biology, and technology to help turn scientific discoveries into more precise diagnostics and therapies. She is passionate about advancing the future of pathology and making complex science accessible to broader audiences.
