Juan Lucas Poggio, MD, MS, FACS, FASCRS, has been appointed System Chief of Colorectal Surgery for Temple University Health System and Chief of the Division of Colorectal Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

Board-certified in Colon and Rectal Surgery as well as General Surgery, Dr. Lucas Poggio joined Temple in 2020 as Professor of Surgery. Prior to joining Temple, he held hospital and academic appointments – including Vice Chair of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Colorectal Surgery – at Drexel University. Dr. Lucas Poggio earned his Medical Degree from Universidad Del Salvador Medical School in Buenos Aires, Argentina before completing a Masters in Tumor Biology and General Surgery Internship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN; a General Surgery residency at Mercy Health System in Darby, PA; a Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI; and a Fellowship in Colon and Rectal Oncologic Surgery at Memorial Sloane-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY.

“During his time at Temple and throughout his career, Dr. Lucas Poggio has proven himself as a tremendously-skilled and respected surgeon, educator and researcher,” said Michael A. Young, MHA, FACHE, President and CEO of Temple University Health System. “We look forward to his leadership of Temple’s highly experienced and multidisciplinary colorectal surgery team.”

“We are fortunate to now have Dr. Poggio lead our colorectal surgery division,” added Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS. “Dr. Poggio is a well-respected surgeon, educator and researcher. Our students, residents and fellows -- as well as patients -- have all benefited from his knowledge and care.” 

Dr. Lucas Poggio’s clinical interests include benign and malignant colorectal surgery conditions; HRA (high resolution anoscopy); anal dysplasia and anal cancer in patients living with or without HIV disease; colon and rectal cancer, including recurrent cancer; and robotic and laparoscopic surgery. His research interests include anal dysplasia, HRA, surgical outcomes, anal cancer, colorectal cancer and medical education.

He is a member of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery, American College of Surgeons, Association for Academic Surgery, International Anal Neoplasia Society and Pennsylvania Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (Vice President-elect). Dr. Lucas Poggio has received intramural and extramural funding and has translated his research toward community service and education.

Dr. Lucas Poggio has authored or co-authored many articles in high impact publications as well as abstracts, book chapters and presentations at regional, national and international society meetings. He has received numerous honors throughout his career, including being named a Philadelphia magazine “Top Doctor” for Colon & Rectal Surgery and a Castle Connolly “Top Doctor” for Colorectal Surgery.