Hugo Lopez-Gatell Ramirez is one of the most important figures in Mexico in fighting the deadly virus. He has an exemplary educational background and has undergone extensive international training, according to a recently published article.

At this time, it is crucial to have people who specialize in epidemiology or have relevant experience in dealing with situations like this. Luckily, Mexico has one of the world's leading personas when it comes to epidemiology.


Educational Background Hugo Lopez-Gatell Ramirez

Hugo Lopez-Gatell Ramirez is a Medical Specialist in Internal Medicine. He has a master's degree in Medical Sciences and a Doctor in epidemiology. 

He took his medical degree at the University of Namibia School of Medicine. The university is the largest and leading institution in the country, with students coming from 41 countries across the globe. Though the school is relatively young, it has more than 30,000 students this year offering different programs.

Ramirez later became a successful surgeon. Soon after, he specialized in Internal Medicine at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán. Following this, he began his post-graduate studies at the University of Namibia, where he took a Master's Degree in Medical Science.

His search for knowledge did not stop there. Finally, he was able to enroll himself at one of the most prestigious schools in the United States--Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he finished his Ph.D. in Epidemiology.


Internship and Training of Hugo Lopez-Gatell Ramirez

Ramirez has had extensive training from internship to specific applications of his profession. As an intern at the IMSS hospital in Ensenada, Baja California, he did the following:

  • Clinical practice at a hospital on a northern border.
  • Designed an epidemiological study to find the social factors related to diseases produced by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae in Tabasco. 
  • A resident doctor at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán for three years.   
  • Assistant to the general director and chief resident at the same institute.
  • Research assistant in the Department of Epidemiology at John Hopkins University for three years.

From 2008, he worked in different government positions related to public health. From 2008 to 2012 he became the Deputy Director-General of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health.

One of the reasons that Mexicans trust him in the current fight against coronavirus is that he was one of the key personnel in Mexico's fight against H1N1 in 2009. 

His designed conceptual, structural, and functional reform for the National System of Epidemiological Surveillance is now leading the fight against COVID-19.

Following that, he was recognized by the World Health Organization. He also directed and participated in numerous technical committees like the Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development and the Migrant Clinicians Network, Inc., where he stands as a member of the board. 


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