Medical School
Albany Medical College, NY
Residency
University of California, Los Angeles
Fellowship
Indiana University School of Medicine (Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery)
Harish Lavu, MD, MS, FACS
Professor
Co-Vice Chair for Quality
Chief, Section of Hepatopancreaticobiliary Surgery
Contact Information
Academic Office
1015 Walnut Street
Curtis Building, Suite 620
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-955-9402
215-923-6609 fax
Professor
Co-Vice Chair for Quality
Chief, Section of Hepatopancreaticobiliary Surgery
Education
Publications
- Clinical Implications of Mismatch Repair Deficiency in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
- Gene Expression Profiling of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells in Hypercapnia Identifies SIAH3 as a Novel Prognostic Biomarker
- Correlation of GNAS Mutational Status with Oncologic Outcomes in Patients with Resected Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms
- Prognostic Properties of KRAS Gene Mutation Subtypes in Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
- Incisional hernia after major pancreatic resection: long term risk assessment from two distinct sources – A large multi-institutional network and a single high-volume center
Board Certification
Surgery
Awards
- Outstanding Clinician Award - Sidney Kimmel Medical College, 2024
- Philadelphia Magazine's Top Docs 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
Education & Training
Dr. Lavu has a BS in Biology and Sociology from Syracuse University where he was a Cum Laude graduate and an MS in Physiology from Georgetown University where he was Summa Cum Laude. At Albany Medical College he received the McGraw-Hill Award (presented to the top two medical students in the class), was Junior Year AOA, and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2000. Dr. Lavu completed the 7 year surgical residency program at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he received the residency teaching award, and was administrative chief resident in his final year. While at UCLA, he completed two years of basic science research focusing on the use of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Lavu then completed the Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) Surgery fellowship at Indiana University, and joined Thomas Jefferson University and the Pancreas, Biliary and Related Cancer Center in 2008. While at Jefferson he rose rapidly through the ranks to Professor and has developed one of the busiest and most diverse clinical HPB practices in the nation.
Research & Clinical Interests
Dr. Lavu is a board certified surgeon who specializes in the fields of Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) Surgery and Surgical Oncology. His practice places an emphasis on minimally invasive and robotic surgery, primarily for the the treatment of pancreatic, biliary, and liver cancers.
- Co-author of over 100 peer reviewed publications and book chapters
- Serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery
- A member of numerous surgical societies, including the:
- Society of University Surgeons
- Association of Academic Surgeons
- American College of Surgeons
- Americas Hepatopancreatobiliary Association