Dr. Lopez's principal areas of interest are in cardiovascular imaging and healthcare disparities. Following her pediatric residency, she completed an MPH at the Harvard School of Public Health with an emphasis on Healthcare management and Minority health policy. Following her public health degree she completed a pediatric cardiology fellowship and has completed her training in advanced imaging, including transesophageal and fetal echocardiography.

Dr. Lopez's research interests focus on identifying healthcare disparities among minority and underserved children, particularly as they pertain to the field of pediatric cardiology. She is currently working with the Texas Department of State Health Services on population-based epidemiologic projects to better understand congenital heart disease patients in the state of Texas. She is also working on developing educational programs for low-literacy/low-English proficiency parents of children with complex congenital heart disease as well as educational programs for pediatricians and pediatric cardiologists to improve oral health screening and access to care. She seeks to further investigate cost-effectiveness of various cardiac imaging modalities and access to prenatal fetal echocardiography for underserved populations. Dr. Lopez seeks to incorporate cardiology, public health, and minority health policy in order to develop research initiatives that directly inform health policy and improve the health care of minorities and underserved populations. She hopes to identify strategies to prevent the occurrence of CHD and to enhance and prolong the lives of those with CHD through surveillance, population-based research, education, health promotion, advocacy, and policy development.