Q&A with Dr. Nir Pillar: Improving Diagnosis of Systemic Amyloidosis With AI

Systemic amyloidosis is a group of rare disorders in which abnormal proteins build up in the body’s tissues, leading to progressive organ dysfunction and death. The symptoms can vary depending on the organs affected, but may include fatigue, weight loss, and swelling.

Diagnosing amyloidosis is challenging due to the non-specific nature of the symptoms and because it requires the microscopic identification of protein deposits in tissue samples. The current diagnostic methods have limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity and are technically difficult to interpret. Misdiagnosis can lead to the delay of life-saving treatments.

Nir Pillar, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, received a 2023 PhRMA Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Translational Medicine for his research combining novel microscopy methodologies and artificial intelligence to improve detection of amyloidosis.

Watch this video to learn about Pillar and his research.

Learn more about the PhRMA Foundation’s fellowship and grant opportunities. Check out more researcher stories on our blog.