Alessandro Fichera, MD is the new Chief at the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery
Dr. Alessandro Fichera received his medical degree from Catholic University of Rome, Italy in 1989 as a Magna cum Laude graduate and completed his internship and residency in general surgery at the 2nd University of Rome and then again at the University of Chicago followed by fellowship training in colorectal surgery at Mt. Sinai in New York. He accepted an Assistant Professor position the University of Chicago in 2002 and became the Program Director for the Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency Training Program. In 2012, Dr. Fichera accepted a position as Professor at the University of Washington. In 2014, Dr. Fichera was named Section Chief of Gastrointestinal Surgery and in 2015 he became the Clinical Director for the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Associate Medical Director for Colorectal, Surgical Care and Outcomes Assessment Program as part of the Foundation for Health Care Quality.
Dr. Fichera is a clinically active colorectal surgeon whose clinical interests include inflammatory bowel disease, minimally invasive surgery and colorectal cancer management, and research interest is focused on neoadjuvant therapy for patients with rectal cancer. He has served as Principal Investigator and Co-investigator on many NIH and industry-sponsored clinical trials, with his most recent work including an NIH funded clinical trial to investigate the optimal timing of delivery of neoadjuvant therapy in order to achieve organ preservation in rectal adenocarcinoma. Additional areas of research interest for Dr. Fichera focus on inflammatory bowel disease, minimally invasive surgery, prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.
Dr. Fichera has a national and international reputation. He has published over 100 articles, 30 book chapters, and given more than 150 invited lectures, nationally and internationally. He is an active member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, the International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons, the Society of University Surgeons (SUS), and notably, is a member of the American Surgical Association (ASA). He currently serves as the Secretary General of the International Society of Digestive Surgery (ISDS), and has been actively involved in the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG). He also serves as the Vice Chair for the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and is on the Executive Committee for the Clinical and Research Conference of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. He serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, World Journal of Gastroenterology and World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology.
Lastly, Dr. Fichera is strongly dedicated to innovating and creating a multidisciplinary and collaborative teaching environment. He has frequently taught during the summer educational series at the University of Chicago and has been a coordinator of its educational programs. He has won numerous teaching awards include the Robert J. Baker Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Golden Eddy Award for Outstanding Patient and Family Educator.