Rodrigo Alonso Karlezi was Born in Valparaiso, Chile in 1963. Obtained his medical degree from Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile, and obtained the Prize of the Chilean Medical Association and from the Faculty of Medicine of Universidad de Valparaíso. Specialist in Internal Medicine from the same University, approved and homologated the corresponding Spanish title. Obtained his PhD in Medicine and the Magister in Clinical Nutrition from Universidad Auntónoma de Madrid.
From 1997 until June 2014, he worked at the Lipid Clinic, Internal Medicine Department at Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain. His current position is chief of Lipid Unit and the Familial Hypercholesterolemia Program at the Nutrition Department, Clínica Las Condes, Santiago de Chile. Also, he works for the Spanish Familial Hypercholesterolemia Foundation, and is member of its Scientific Committee. Coordinates the Spanish Follow-up Study of Families with Familial Hypercholesterolemia (SAFEHEART) and the Spanish Registry of Familial Hyperlipidemia. He has collaborated in the development and implementation of the Familial Hypercholesterolemia Detection Program in the regions of Castilla y León and Madrid. Trustee of the International Familial Hypercholesterolemia Foundation. Member of the executive committee for regional federation (America) from the International Atherosclerosis Society.
He was professor of medicine at the University of Valparaiso from 1992 to 1997. Co- Director of the “on-line course” in Familial Hypercholesterolemia from the Spanish FH Foundation. He has participated as professor in courses from the foundation for Heatlh Promotion, Barcelona, accredited by the Continuing Educational Commission from the Spanish National Health System.
Author and Co-author of many manuscripts published in national and international journals and has been invited as speaker in national and international congresses and symposia. His main research areas are related to genetic aspects of Familial hyperlipidemia, interaction between genetic and other factors and cardiovascular disease.