Pathology

Paula E. North, MD, PhD

Professor and Chief (Pediatric Pathology), Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Medical Director, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
Director, Children's Research Institute Histology and Imaging Cores
Medical Director, Pediatric Biobank and Tissue Analytical Core, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Dr. North serves as Chief of Pediatric Pathology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and as Medical Director of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.  She is responsible for oversight of all clinical, administrative, research, and teaching aspects of Pediatric Pathology in the Department and directs the CHW Clinical Laboratories.  She also founded and now directs 3 research core facilities at the Children’s Research Institute that are open to all investigators at MCW and its affiliated institutions.  Dr. North’s research program and anatomic clinical practice is focused in the area of vascular anomalies; she also serves as a Principal Investigator/Core Director for Histology and Imaging Cores on a Stem Cell Program Project (P01) as well as the Children’s Environmental Health Science Center Grant.

Research Interests

• Pathogenic mechanisms in vascular tumors and malformations of infancy and childhood
• Pediatric molecular diagnostics
• Global laboratory medicine - development of sustainable models for telepathology-supported laboratory testing in challenging environments

Professional Background

• Director of Clinical Laboratories and Vice Chief of Pediatric Pathology, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock, AR (1995 - 2005)
• Assistant Professor of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (1995 - 2001)
• Associate Professor of Pathology (with tenure), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (2001 - 2004)
• Professor of Pathology (with tenure), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (2004 - 2005)
• Professor (with tenure) and Chief (Pediatric Pathology), Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin (2005 – present)

Educational Background

• University of Virginia – BA in Biology (1974)
• Vanderbilt University - PhD in Molecular Biology (1982)
• Vanderbilt University - post-doctoral fellowship in Physiology, Vanderbilt University (1982 - 1984)
• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - MD (1992)
• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences – residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology (1992 - 1995)

Board Certifications

• Anatomic and Clinical Pathology (American Board of Pathology)
• Pediatric Pathology (American Board of Pathology)

Selected Publications

• North PE, Waner M, Mizeracki A, Mrak RE, Nicholas R, Kincannon J, Suen JY, and Mihm MC, Jr: A unique microvascular phenotype shared by juvenile hemangiomas and human placenta. Arch Dermatol. 137: 559-570-12, 2001.
• North PE, Waner M, James CJ, Mizeracki A, Frieden IJ, and Mihm MC, Jr. Congenital nonprogressive hemangioma: a distinct clinicopathological entity unlike infantile hemangioma. Arch Dermatol. 137: 1607-1620, 2001.
• Walter JW, North PE, Waner M, Mizeracki A, Blei F, Walker JWT, Reinisch JF, and Marchuk DA. Somatic mutation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors in juvenile hemangioma. Genes, Chromosomes , and Cancer. 33:295-303, 2002.
• Sanchez-Carpintero I, Mihm MC, Waner M, Mizeracki A, and North PE: Epithelial and mesenchymal hamartomatous changes in mature port-wine stains: morphological evidence for a multiple germ layer field defect. J Am Acad Dermatol 50(4): 606-612, 2004.
• North PE, Kahn T, Cordisco MR, Dadras SS, Detmar M, Frieden IJ: Multifocal lymphangioendotheliomatosis with thrombocytopenia: a newly recognized clinicopathological entity. Arch Dermatol 140(5): 599-606, 2004.
• North PE, Waner M, Buckmiller L, James CA, Mihm MC. Vascular tumors of infancy and childhood: beyond capillary hemangioma. Cardiovasc Pathol 15:303-317, 2006.
• North PE, Mihm MC: Hemangioma of Infancy. WHO Classification of Tumors, Pathology and Genetics of Skin Tumors, Lyon, 2006, p. 233.
• North PE and Kincannon J: Vascular Neoplasms and Neoplastic-like Proliferations, in Dermatology, Second Edition, Bolognia JL, Jorizzo JL, and Rapini RP, eds., Mosby, London, 2008.
• Deyrup A, Miettinen M, North PE et al. Angiosarcomas arising in the viscera and soft tissue of children and young adults: a clinicopathological study of 15 cases. Am J Surg Pathol 33(2):264-269, 2009.
• Pramanik K, Chun CZ, Garnaas MK, Samant G, Mull A, Li K, North PE and Ramchandran R. Dusp-5 and Snrk-1 coordinately function during vascular development and disease. Blood 113(5):1184-1191, 2009.
• Si-Tayeb K, Noto FK, Nagaoka M, Li J, Battle MA, Duris C, North PE, Dalton S, Duncan SA. Highly efficient generation of human hepatocyte-like cells from induced pluripotent stem cells. Hepatology 51(1):297-305, 2010.