Dr. Pifarré Foundation

IRBLleida is named the Dr. Pifarré Foundation in honour of the Lleida-based doctor Roc Pifarré Florejachs (Lleida, 1929 - Barcelona, 22 June 2010).  Pifarré was a cardiologist and professor emeritus of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the Loiola Stritch University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois (USA). He was a pioneer in coronary operations and was recognized as one of the best surgeons worldwide.

The doctor studied medicine at the University of Barcelona, where he graduated in 1953. He later extended his studies at Georgetown University in Washington (1956) and at Macgill University in Montreal. Devoted mainly to the study of circulatory and respiratory system pathology, he is the author of many works in his speciality and was head of the department of thoracic and cardiopulmonary surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, from where he promoted the development of cardiac surgery.

Throughout his career he has received various awards, including the special certificate of Canada in Thoracic Surgery (1964), the certificate of the American Board of General Surgery (1965) and Thoracic (1967), the Civil Merit Award given by the King of Spain (1980), the Stritch Gold Medal (1982) and the Faculty Member of the year (1985).

Roc Pifarré was also awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi (1995). In 1991 he was awarded the Leridano Ejemplar prize. He was also awarded the Gold Medal of the City of Lleida for Scientific Merit (1997). The University of Lleida conferred him an honorary doctorate in 1999 and in 2009 he was awarded the 1st City of Lleida International Award.

In 1993, the Roc Pifarré Foundation was created to manage and channel biomedical research in the health institutions of the Lleida Health Region. For this reason, the Dr. Pifarré Foundation Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida bears his name.