University of Missouri – Columbia (MU)
Dr. Rao’s research expertise is in various aspects of pancreatobiliary and hepatic pathology, and pathology informatics. With background in statistics and bioinformatics, she is interested in retrospective and prospective clinical studies to understand clinical correlations of neoplastic and non-neoplastic gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary conditions, molecular markers associated with diagnosis and prognosis of gastrointestinal conditions, with special interest in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and Barrett’s Esophagus (BE). She is also interested in exploring how technological advances can improve a pathologist’s workflow and digital pathology in general. She collaborates with engineers and computer scientists on critically analyzing how a new technology can impact a pathologist’s workflow and the realities of clinical practice.