Oscar Colegio, MD, PhD
Oscar Colegio, MD, PhD, the Lawrence P. & Joan Castellani Family Endowed Chair in Dermatology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, died unexpectedly on June 13, 2020, at a family residence in Connecticut. He was 47.
Dr. Colegio had relocated to Buffalo when he was recruited to head Roswell Park’s dermatology program in 2018. He had previously served as Associate Professor of Dermatology, Pathology, and Surgery at Yale University.
A Beloved Doctor and Co-worker
“Our hearts are with Dr. Colegio’s family,” said Roswell Park President and Chief Executive Officer Candace S. Johnson, PhD. “In only 2 years’ time, he became a dear friend, trusted physician, and valued colleague to so many,” Dr. Johnson added. “He embraced his adoptive home of Buffalo and the Elmwood Village with warmth and friendship. Given who Oscar was personally and professionally, all that he accomplished, and the passion with which he pursued his work, this loss leaves an enormous hole.”
A clinician and scientist with more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Colegio was President of the International Immunosuppression and Transplant Skin Cancer Collaborative (ITSCC), a professional society dedicated to understanding skin cancer in recipients of organ transplants. He specialized in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, immunology, immunodeficiency-associated skin cancers, and solid organ transplantation.
John Carucci, MD, PhD, Immediate Past President of ITSCC, said in a statement: “Oscar served in many leadership roles with ITSCC and contributed so much to the culture of the organization through his brilliance, generosity, ingenuity, and humor. Oscar was a gifted scientist, expert clinician, and wonderful teacher who influenced so many up-and-coming physicians and investigators.”
Dr. Colegio earned doctoral and medical degrees from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and performed his residency and fellowship at Yale–New Haven Hospital. He was a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.
A native of Texas, Dr. Colegio is survived by his wife, Brenda, and two sons, Otto and Austin. A fund will be established in his name to support research on cancers of the skin. For information, visit RoswellPark.org/giving.
