Dr. Ignacio Sánchez, world-renowned physician, scholar, and educator, will visit Philadelphia this spring to receive an honorary degree from Drexel University College of Medicine at the school’s commencement ceremony on May 18, to be held at the Kimmel Center in Center City. 

Born in Santiago, Chile, Dr. Sánchez, studied medicine at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile with a specialization in pediatrics, later focusing his research on pediatric respirology at the University of Manitoba, Canada. Prior to assuming the post of president of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in 2010, Dr. Sánchez also served as the head of the department of pediatrics, head of the School of Medicine and dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Universidad Católica. In March 2015, he was re-appointed to his second term as president of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, which was recently ranked as the best university in Latin America in 2018 by QS Top Universities. 

Dr. Sánchez has focused his research and work on cystic fibrosis, asthma, and lung function in children. His book “Enfoque clínico de las enfermedades respiratorias del niño” is in its third edition. Dr. Sánchez has also written and contributed over 200 articles in national and international reviews and journals throughout his career. 

In addition to scholarly work in the medical field, Dr. Sánchez has also written about his experience as a leader in education, including the books “Desde la universidad a la sociedad: Selección de escritos 2010-2015,” which draws on his experience as a university president, and “Ideas en educación," which examines the Chilean higher education system and its reform.  

Apart from his current position, Dr. Sánchez is also the head of the Chilean Chapter of Catholic Universities, part of the International Federation of Catholic Institutions, and a member of the council of rectors of Chilean Universities, or CRUCH; he has also served as president of the network of public, non-state universities in Chile.