Lukas Matern, MD

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: December 2025

Lukas is a faculty anesthesiologist and intensivist at WashU Medicine. His practice spans surgical and medical critical care as well as general adult anesthesiology. While his current home base is the surgical, burn, and trauma intensive care unit, he also serves clinically as the Physician Leader for Non-Operating Room Anesthesia (NORA) and maintains a strong interest in multidisciplinary care in the main operating rooms. Strongly committed to education, Lukas is engaged in a variety of department initiatives centered on learner development, most recently assisting in the design and execution of critical care simulation exercises. He is particularly passionate about effective clinical teaching and formative assessment, recognizing these as drivers of excellence in medical training.

Lukas grew up in the Midwest but came to St. Louis via Boston. He completed his anesthesiology and critical care medicine training at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was chief resident and served as a member of the thoracic anesthesiology group prior to relocating.

In his past life as a conservatory-level cellist prior to entering medicine, Lukas performed chamber works by Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Brahms at Carnegie Hall. He and his partner (a saxophonist) remain regulars at St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concerts, chamber music recitals, and local jazz venues.