Julio Perez Fontan

Julio Pérez Fontán is the Chair of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Physician-in-Chief at Children’s Health. Previously, he was the Alumni Endowed Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine. He holds a dual summa cum laude degree from the University of Santiago de Compostela, followed by pediatric residency at Barcelona’s Autonomous University and a critical care fellowship at UCSF.

His research focuses on pulmonary biomechanics, including the interdependence of airways and lung parenchyma, vagal tone regulation, and tachykinin-mediated inflammation. His work is funded by NIH and has produced over 28 publications. He has also held leadership roles such as founding Director of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Washington University and Associate Dean for Pediatric Services at UT Southwestern.

Dr. Pérez Fontán has been recognized as an Alumni Endowed Professor and contributed to editorial boards and professional societies. His lab’s studies on viscoelastic properties and neural networks in pulmonary function have advanced respiratory physiology understanding.