Karin Oien

Professor Karin Oien is a Professor of Pathology at the Institute of Cancer Sciences - Pathology, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow. Her clinical practice focuses on gastro-intestinal and liver disease, with particular expertise in cancer pathology. She is actively involved in translational research bridging basic science and clinical applications in cancer diagnostics and biomarker discovery.

Professor Oien's research interests span Systems Pathology of Cancer with a focus on gastrointestinal and liver malignancies. Her work centers on two main themes: 1) applying global profiling technologies to tissues for improved cancer classification, diagnosis, and treatment guidance; and 2) characterizing biomarkers identified through candidate gene approaches. Her current projects include clinical trials of algorithms for predicting primary sites in metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown origin and identifying novel biomarkers linked with outcomes in pancreatic cancer. She leads research groups focused on Upper GI cancers (including cholangiocarcinoma, biliary cancers, and hepatobiliary malignancies) and liver cancer.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on pancreatic cancer biomarkers, cancer of unknown primary, molecular diagnostics, and the application of genomic technologies in cancer pathology. Her work frequently appears in high-impact journals across oncology, pathology, and molecular diagnostics fields, demonstrating interdisciplinary collaboration across multiple institutions.

Professor Oien has been instrumental in advancing molecular pathology in the UK healthcare system, contributing to consensus statements on molecular diagnostic tests and participating in national initiatives like the CM-Path Molecular Diagnostics Forum. Her work bridges clinical practice, research, and healthcare policy in cancer diagnostics.

She is actively involved in digital pathology initiatives and has contributed to research on the implementation of AI in pathology practice. Professor Oien also engages in medical education, having developed novel curriculum mapping methods for pathology teaching.