Alessio Pigazzi, MD, PhD, joined City of Hope in August 2004, to assume the position of section head, Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery within the Department of Surgery at City of Hope National Medical Center.

Dr. Pigazzi specializes in minimally invasive procedures including radiologic techniques and video-assisted surgical resection. His clinical interests include minimally invasive surgery for gastrointestinal tumors, especially colon and rectal cancers. His research focuses on new applications of robotic surgery and on clinical outcomes after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal malignancies. He is a member of several medical societies including the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and the Massachusetts Medical Society. He is also a founding member of the International Society of Robotic Surgery. He has written and contributed to a number of journal research articles, book chapters, abstracts, and video presentations, and has won numerous awards for his work.

Dr. Pigazzi holds a bachelor of arts degree in biology from Boston University, and a medical doctorate and PhD (in biochemistry) from Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his surgical residency at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York Presbyterian Hospital. He later pursued fellowship training in laparoscopic, bariatric and robotic surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center-University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.