Richard was born on October 3rd 1950 to Richard and Florence LoPachin in the city of Waukegan, Il. The oldest of four children, Richard remained connected to his brothers Douglas and Patrick, as well as his sister Jeanne. After Richard graduated from Manhasset High School, he pursued degrees in Microbiology and Pharmacology at University of Georgia before getting his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin in Pharmacology and completed three years of post-doctrinal studies in neurotoxicology.
Richard began working as a teacher and research assistant at his alma mater before becoming an assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Houston and Stony Brook Medical School. In 1992 he became a professor of anesthesiology at Albert Einstein college of medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, where he ran a laboratory. His research in neurotoxicology covered a wide range of topics, from acetaminophen toxicity to the prevention of hearing loss from cisplatin toxicity.
Over his nearly thirty-year career Richard published a staggering 109 papers. He was invited to speak at over 50 national and international conferences, often as a keynote speaker. He served as an ad hoc reviewer for 9 peer reviewed scientific journals, as well as an editorial board member for 4 additional journals. Over his career he was approved for 24 separate NIH, industry and private foundation grants, totaling over $14.5 million dollars.
His work continues today thanks to the generous support of Band of Parents, a non-profit organization focused on pediatric cancer research. His family has started a fundraiser in his honor, and a link can be found below.
Richard met his wife Vicki at the University of Houston. They were married in 1988 and went on to have two children, Tyler and Jenna. During their 35 years of marriage, Richard and Vicki loved travelling together and not only explored much of the United States but around the world to Italy, France, England, Malta, and the Azore islands.
Aside from his research, Richard loved the outdoors and sports. He was passionate about snowboarding, softball, golf, and football in his free time.
Richard is survived by his parents and siblings, as well as his wife Vicki, his children Michael, Nicholas, Tyler, Jenna, and his five grandchildren, Audrey, Scarlett, Ryan, Rhea, and Lily.
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