George K. Michalopoulos

Dr. George K. Michalopoulos is a Professor of Pathology in the Division of Experimental Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He joined the University of Pittsburgh in April 1991 as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pathology, serving in that role through April 2023. Prior to this, he was an Assistant Professor at Duke University from 1977 to 1991. During his tenure at Pittsburgh, he also served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and Interim Dean of the School of Medicine from November 1995 to November 1998. Dr. Michalopoulos received his medical degree from Athens University School of Medicine in 1969 and completed a residency in Anatomic Pathology and a PhD in Oncology at Wisconsin Medical Center in Madison in 1977.

Dr. Michalopoulos's research primarily focuses on the mechanisms of liver regeneration and their relevance to hepatic neoplasia, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). His laboratory discovered that extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling by urokinase is a key process in initiating liver regeneration, leading to the release of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). His work has elucidated how signaling systems including HGF, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and others coordinate hepatocyte DNA synthesis during regeneration. More recently, his research has connected these regeneration pathways to cancer development, with significant findings regarding genomic alterations in HCC and the role of proteins like Glypican 3 (GPC3) in regulating liver size and proliferation. His work has established fundamental principles in liver biology, demonstrating how mature epithelial cells (biliary and hepatocytic) can function as stem cells for each other through transdifferentiation.

• University of Pittsburgh Distinguished Professor (2012)

Dr. Michalopoulos has mentored numerous students and researchers throughout his career and maintains an active laboratory investigating liver regeneration mechanisms. His research program has been continuously funded through multiple grants, supporting investigations into the molecular pathways of liver growth and cancer development. He has published extensively in high-impact journals, with his work serving as foundational knowledge in hepatology. His laboratory explores pathways of organ regeneration using the liver as a paradigm, with research spanning from basic mechanisms of hepatocyte proliferation to translational applications in liver disease and cancer.