Ignacio Sánchez is the President of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) and a Professor at the School of Medicine.

Trained as a physician at the Universidad Católica and the University of Manitoba (Canada), his academic and research work has been focused mainly on the study of cystic fibrosis, asthma and other respiratory illnesses in children. He is the author of a book and more than 200 articles on the subject. He has previously served as the university’s head of the Department of Pediatrics, and director and dean of the School of Medicine. In addition to his scholarly work in the medical field, he has written several books on Chilean higher education.

He is a member of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities and of the Network of Non-State Public Universities (G9). He is the head of the Chilean Chapter of Catholic Universities, which is part of the International Federation of Catholic Universities, and is also Vice-President for the Southern Region of the Latin American Organization of Catholic Universities.