Alfredo Lopez-S, M.D., Ph.D

He was born in Salamanca, Spain, on July 23, 1931, and was preceded in death by his parents, Alfredo Lopez Vaquero and Josefa Santolino Lopez, and his brother, Rev. Julian Lopez Santolino.

Dr. Lopez is survived by: his loving wife of 59 years, Helene Calleja Lopez; son, Dr. Fred Lopez of New Orleans, LA (Dr. Nora Oates); and daughter, Elena Lopez Guida (Gregory) of Gulfport, MS. He had five grandchildren: Micheline Guida, Emily Adele Guida Ferguson (Holden Ferguson), Lillian Guida, Emma Lopez, and Andrew Lopez.

Dr. Lopez received his undergraduate education at Instituto Fray Luis de Leon in Salamanca, Spain. He earned his medical degree from the University of Salamanca School of Medicine in 1955. He subsequently joined the faculty of the University of Salamanca School of Medicine, where he was an Assistant Professor of Physiology and Medicine from 1956-1958. He then moved to Colombia, South America, as the Rockefeller Foundation Fellow Instructor “ad honorem” in Biochemistry at the University del Valle in Cali. From 1960 to 1961, Dr. Lopez was the Rockefeller Foundation Fellow in the Department of Medicine Graduate School at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1963, he received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry. He was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Iowa School of Medicine from 1964 to 1967 before joining the LSU School of Medicine-New Orleans faculty in 1967 and becoming Director of the Lipid Clinic at Charity Hospital. He was certified by the American Board of Clinical Nutrition in 1968.

Dr. Lopez was a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Central Society for Clinical Investigation, Council of Atherosclerosis (American Heart Association), Southern Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Southeastern Clinical Club.

During his forty-plus years at LSU Health Sciences Center, he studied nutrition as it related to heart disease and cancer. He authored more than 70 journal publications and more than 100 abstracts and presentations. He served as Chief of the Section of Nutrition and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Medicine at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine (1974 until his retirement in 2008). Dr. Lopez was named the Fred Allison, Jr, MD Professor of Medicine in 2000.

Dr. Lopez was President of the American Heart Association of Louisiana, received the Best Clinical Professor Award from his students at LSU School of Medicine, received the Outstanding Professor Award from the school’s Aesculapian Society, and was elected to the LSU School of Medicine’s chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. The National Institutes of Health awarded him a Career Development Award in Nutrition. He was also a Member of the Louisiana Statewide Nutrition Task Force. In addition, he was elected President of the Spanish Aspen Society.

His community involvement included supporting the American Heart Association, Sociedad Espanola of New Orleans (Founder and President), and the Hispanic American Medical Association of Louisiana.

Special interests included the History of Medicine, the History of the Spanish Colonial Period in New Orleans, Art and Literature. He was a co-author (with Eileen J. Doll, Ph.D.) of the book Permanencia Cultural de Espana en Nueva Orleans, published in 2008. He also enjoyed traveling, spending many of his summers in Salamanca after he retired.

The family would like to thank the Staff at Poydras Home, including Myra Jefferson and Patricia Weber, for their devoted care.

Visitation will be on 2/24/22 from 9:30 AM until 11:00 AM at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass will occur immediately afterwards.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the LSU Health Foundation New Orleans; 2000 Tulane Avenue; New Orleans, LA 70112; or Poydras Home, 5354 Magazine Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115.