José Luis Zubieta, a pioneer in neuroradiology at the University, has passed away
02 | 09 | 2026
Dr. José Luis Zubieta, a professor at the School of Medicine, a specialist in neuroradiology at the Clinic and one of the driving forces behind the launch of the Neuroradiology Unit, passed away in Pamplona on August 31.
graduate He earned his bachelor’s degree (1974) and doctorate (1993) in Medicine and Surgery from the University, specialized in Neurology and Radiodiagnostics, and completed his specific post training t at the Centre Hospitalier Purpan in Toulouse (France) and at the Clínica San Francisco de Asís (Madrid).
His professional career was closely tied to the development in Neuroradiology and Diagnostic Imaging at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra. A partner of the SENR since 1982, he also founded the clinic’s Neuroradiology Unit that same year, serving as its director until his retirement in 2019. In addition, from 2006 to 2015, he served as director of the Radiology Department.
Associate Professor A member of the University since 1996 and a professor at the Master's Degree of Neurosciences at the School of Medicine, he participated in more than 20 research projects and clinical trials conducted at the Clinic. Dr. Jesús Pueyo, a specialist in Radiodiagnostics and a professor at the Faculty, recalls the lasting impression Dr. Zubieta left on the students who passed through his classrooms: “There are professors who possess a special skill to leave a mark that transcends classrooms and report rooms, not only because of what they teach, but because they ensure that the knowledge remains forever in the subconscious of their students and residents. It wasn’t just what he explained—it was how he explained it and the famous examples he used that we all still remember today. José Luis Zubieta, our beloved ‘Zubi,’ had that unparalleled gift. average An hour of teaching with him was equivalent to the best teaching of an entire season. His generous dedication, backed by infinite patience and a clarity of presentation, gave us a solid foundation that would last a lifetime.”
In the academic sphere, he was a pioneer in introducing magnetic resonance imaging at the Faculty’s “ programs of study ” ( Degree ) with a subject elective subject that he requested, anticipating the future of radiology and helping everyone understand the strategic value of training. “He was, moreover, a master at letting people take the lead. If you had good ideas, he let you carry them out—which was very generous of a boss. He let you carry them out while also supporting you in them.”
Drs. Gorka Bastarrika and Alberto Benito, co-directors of the Clinic’s Radiology Department, explain that to speak of José Luis Zubieta “is to speak of an important part of the history of radiology at the Clinic.” “When he launched the Neuroradiology Unit in 1980, many of the techniques that are now part of our daily work were still to come. He understood very early on just how much diagnostic imaging could contribute to the knowledge of nervous system diseases and paved a path that others of us have had the opportunity to continue.”
His dual training as a neurologist and radiologist shaped his understanding of medicine. Behind every image was the patient and the need to better understand what was happening to them. He experienced firsthand the enormous technological transformation in radiology and championed the adoption of new techniques, with a special interest in their applications in neuro-oncology and neurodegenerative diseases. “That curiosity was always accompanied by research , and teaching —two dimensions that were an inseparable part of his career at the clinic and the university.”
But his bequest lies not only in the techniques he helped introduce or the scientific papers he published. It also lies in the people. “For many years, he shared his knowledge and experience with those who joined the Department and worked closely with professionals from other specialties. Later, as a “ director ” in the Radiodiagnostic Service, he contributed to its growth and consolidation during a period of tremendous evolution for our specialization program. Those of us who came after him are, in a way, the heirs to the “ work ” of those who, like José Luis, had the initiative to blaze new trails.”