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Research and Clinical Interests

My interests are primarily liver pathology, with emphasis on liver transplantation, fatty liver, hepatitis B and C, and liver tumors, particularly well-differentiated hepatocellular tumors and vascular lesions. I actively participated in the World Congress’ Consensus Groups for the nomenclature of nodules in the liver and recommendations for terminology for hepatic allograft rejection. My studies on liver pathology in recurrent hepatitis C after transplantation and on the diagnosis of dysplastic nodules have been recognized internationally as leading papers on these topics. I was also involved in a recent evaluation and review of benign liver tumors in coordination with the International Liver Pathology Study Group and the Laennec Society.  Our current ongoing studies involve unusual variants of tumors (HCC, vascular, others), vascular malformations in the liver, and other markers in well-differentiated hepatocellular tumors.

Selected Publications

• Kim GE, Thung SN, Tsui WMS, Ferrell LD. Hepatic cavernous hemangioma: underrecognized associated histologic features. Liver Int’l, 26:334-38, 2006.
• Torbensen M, Chen YY, Brunt E, Cummings OW, Gottfried M, Jakate S, Liu YC, Yeh M, Ferrell L, Glycogenic hepatopathy: An under-recognized hepatic complication of diabetes mellitus. American Journal of Surgical Pathology 30(4): 508-513, 2006.
• Bioulac-Sage P, Balabaud C, Bedossa P, Scoazec, JY, Chiche L, Dhillon AP, Ferrell L, Paradis V, Roskams T, Vilgrain V, Wanless IR, Zucman-Rossi J and members of the Laennec and Elves groups.  Pathological diagnosis of liver cell adenoma and focal nodular hyperplasia:  Bordeaux update.  Journal of Hepatology 46(3): 521-527, 2007.
• Ferrell L, Greenberg M.  Special Stains can distinguish hepatic necrosis with regenerative nodules from cirrhosis Liver International27:681-686, 2007.
• Zen Y, Adsay N, Bardadin K, Romano C, Ferrell L, Haga H, Hong S, Hytiroglou P, Kloppel G, Lauwers G, van Leeuwen D, Notohara K, Oshima K, Quaglia A, Sasaki M, Sessa F, Suriawinata A,   Tsui W, Atomi Y, Nakanuma Y.  Biliary intraepithelial neoplasia:  An international interobserver agreement study and proposal of the revised diagnostic criteria.  Modern Pathology 20:701-9, 2007.
• Kakar S, Gown A, Goodman Z, Ferrell L.  Best Practices in Diagnostic Immunohistochemistry: Hepatocellular Carcinoma versus Metastatic Neoplasms.  Archives Pathol Lab Med; 131:1648-1654,  2007.
• Fenton H, Torbenson M, Vivekanandan P, Yeh M, Hart J, and Ferrell L.  Marked iron accumulation in liver explants in the absence of major gene defects of hereditary hemochromatosis:  a risk factor for cardiac failure.  Transplantation, 187(8):  1256-1260, 2009.
• Kakar S, Chen X, Ho C, Burgart LJ, Adeyi O, Jain D, Sahai V, Ferrell LD.  Chromosomal abnormalities  determined by comparative genomic hybridization are helpful in the diagnosis of atypical hepatocellular neoplasms.  Histopathology 55:197-205, 2009.
• Jakate S, Yabes A, Guisto D, Naini B, Lassman C, Yeh M, Ferrell LD.  Diffuse Cirrhosis-like Hepatocellular Carcinoma: a Clinically and Radiographically Undetected Variant Mimicking Cirrhosis, Amer J Surg Pathol, in press.

Selected Awards

• International Liver Pathology Study Group member
• Co-Editor, Pathology of the Liver, Burt AD, Portmann BC, Ferrell LD (eds) 5th and 6th editions
• UCSF teaching awards, 10 total, for resident and medical student teaching
• Numerous invited lectureships and visiting professorships
• 2008 Gold Headed Cane Award
• 2008-09 Hans Popper Hepatopathology President
• 2010 Vice President of US and Canadian Academy of Pathology

Additional Information

• Detailed CV

• Distinguished Professor in Anatomic Pathology, Vice Chair of Clinical Services, Director of Surgical Pathology, Director of Liver & GI Pathology Fellowship
• Pathology
• Surgical Pathology

Specialty Area

Liver & GI Pathology

Contact Information

• linda.ferrell@ucsf.edu
• Phone: 415-353-1090
• Pager: 415-443-5414
• Fax: 415-353-1200

• Department of Pathology
• 505 Parnassus Ave., Rm. M590, Box 0102
• San Francisco, CA 94143

Other UCSF Organizational Association(s)

• UCSF Cancer Center

Hospital Affiliation(s)

• Mt. Zion
• Veterans Administration
• SF General