Raul Hinojosa, MD, 1928-2015

Raul Hinojosa, MD, 1928-2015

July 28, 2015

A memorial service for Raul Hinojosa, MD, associate professor of surgery emeritus at the University of Chicago and a leading authority on diseases affecting the ear, will be held at the University of Chicago's Logan Center on Aug. 27, 2015.

He died from complications related to Alzheimer's disease on April 26, 2015, at his winter home in the state of Morelos, Mexico. He was 86.

Hinojosa conducted a series of important studies on the fine anatomy of structures within the ear and the causes of hearing loss -- ranging from damage caused by injuries, natural aging and exposure to various medications, including cancer chemotherapy. He also brought more precise standards and new methods, such as electron microscopy, to the imaging, diagnosis and measurement of gradual and sudden hearing loss.

Hinojosa was born June 18, 1928, in Tampico, Mexico. He received his MD from the National Autonomous University of México in 1954, followed by two years of additional training in pathology there. A fellowship from the Mexican government enabled him to study temporal bone pathology and electron microscopy, which he pursued with leading figures at multiple American and European universities, including Harvard, Johns Hopkins and the University of Chicago.

In 1962, after three years of teaching pathology and histology at National Autonomous University of México School of Medicine, he joined the otolaryngology section of the surgical faculty at the University of Chicago as an assistant professor. He was promoted to research associate (assistant professor) in 1968 and to associate professor in 1988. He retired with emeritus status in 1998.

Hinojosa earned consistent research funding from the National Institutes of Health. He was author or co-author 86 research papers and 11 book chapters and lectured internationally, primarily on temporal bone pathology, hearing loss, cochlear implants and the research applications of electron microscopy. His research and worldwide connections enabled him to acquire one of the largest collections of temporal bones and related tissues in the world, which will provide material for further scientific study. He also taught generations of medical students and residents about diseases of the ear, nose and throat.

Hinojosa and his wife, Berta, were also avid scuba divers. They travelled the world together, diving in such places as the Great Barrier Reef, the Red Sea, New Guinea and the Caribbean. Each logged more than 350 dives. The opera and classical music were among the pair's other passions.

He is survived by Berta; their children: Bertha Elena Baillie (husband Dennis Baillie), Raul (wife Paule Takash), Jorge, and Maria Hinojosa, (husband German Perez); four grandchildren; two sisters and many extended family members.

The memorial service is scheduled for 5 p.m., Aug. 27, 2015, at the University of Chicago's Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, Performance Penthouse, Level 9, 915 E. 60th St., Chicago. Free parking is available after 4 p.m. in a lot across the street from the Logan Center, on the corner of Drexel Avenue and 60th St.