Dr. Erick López is a medical sociologist who is engaged in public health research and program implementation. He serves as a Research Analyst at the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy, which is housed in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Public Health.

Dr. López is committed to addressing social inequities that lead to health inequities—especially with regard to race/ethnicity and social class. He serves as the program manager for the Centers for Disease Control-funded Nevada Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, where he works to strengthen state-level surveillance of childhood blood lead levels, to increase the blood lead testing by medical providers, and to oversee education and outreach efforts to community stakeholders and community members. Dr. López also serves as the program manager for the Centers for Disease Control-funded One Community program that seeks to promote the equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Nevada.

His scholarly work examines the impact of sociocultural assimilation on dietary behavior and physical activity among adult Latinxs in the U.S. as it relates the high rate of chronic diseases experienced in Latinxs populations. He has published in peer-reviewed journals such as Ethnicity and Health and the Journal of Minority and Immigrant Health. Most recently, his research has focused on addressing the disproportionate burden of lead poisoning and COVID-19 morbidities and mortalities in socially vulnerable communities.