Dr. Andrew L. Chesson, Jr. earned his undergraduate degree in Zoology from the University of Texas at Austin before completing his MD at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in 1974. During his time at UTMB, he was actively involved in local and national medical student organizations, served as senior class president, and was honored with the CIBA Award for Outstanding Community Service at graduation. He continued his medical training at UTMB, completing an Internal Medicine internship and a Neurology residency. It was in Galveston that he met his wife, Denise, a 1971 Occupational Therapy alum, and together they were blessed with two children, Drew and Lisa, both born at John Sealy Hospital.
Dr. Chesson’s passion for teaching emerged at UTMB, where he served as an instructor and discussion leader for the medical student Physical Diagnosis course and later as Chief Resident in Neurology. Following his residency, his commitment to education and caring for underserved patients led him to accept a faculty position at Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he would spend the next 36 years.
Starting as an Instructor of Neurology, he pursued headache research while actively engaging in teaching and clinical practice. After diagnosing several patients with Sleep Apnea in a makeshift neurophysiology lab — shortly after the first cases were documented in early sleep research — his focus shifted. Fascinated by the mystery of sleep, a universal human experience whose purpose remained largely unknown, he transitioned into what would later become the field of Sleep Medicine.
At LSUHSC, Dr. Chesson remained deeply involved in Neurology, medical education, and the evolving field of Sleep Medicine. He established Louisiana’s first Sleep Center and later founded the Sleep Medicine Fellowship program. Rising through academic ranks, he became a Professor and, by 1993, was appointed Acting Chair of the Department of Neurology. In 1994, he took on the role of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, overseeing curriculum development and leading initiatives in small group teaching, clinical skills training, standardized patient programs, and medical simulation. He also played a key role in multiple accreditation cycles for the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Beyond LSUHSC, Dr. Chesson was active at both state and national levels, serving in leadership roles within the American Academies of Neurology and Sleep Medicine. He contributed to numerous boards and committees, and in 2002, he was elected President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The following year, he collaborated with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to establish the first multi-specialty sleep medicine fellowship. In 2007, he co-authored The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) Manual for the Scoring of Sleep and Associated Events, which became the national standard for all accredited sleep labs.
In 2008, he was appointed Acting Dean and Chancellor of LSUHSC, and in 2009, he was named Dean of the School of Medicine, a position he held until his retirement in 2014. One of his most challenging tasks during this time was securing faculty buy-in for the rollout of a new electronic medical records system for clinics and hospitals. Over his career, he authored more than 125 publications.
Dr. Chesson’s contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including the 2001 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative: Humanism in Medicine Award, recognition as one of the “Best Doctors in America” annually from 2001 to 2015, and the Nathaniel Kleitman Distinguished Service Award — the highest honor from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine — in 2007. In 2022, the LSU Board of Supervisors honored his legacy by naming the Ochsner LSU Health Sleep Clinic the Dr. Andrew Chesson Sleep Clinic and dedicating the Neurology Resident/Fellow Educational Room in his name.
Now retired, Dr. Chesson and Denise enjoy life in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where they live in peaceful seclusion, undisturbed as he pursues his passion for woodworking — particularly turning green wood. He remains active in leadership roles with the Upstate Master Naturalist program and Trout Unlimited, focusing on cold-water stream conservation, macroinvertebrate studies, and classroom trout hatcheries. Most of all, he treasures time spent with their seven grandchildren, who reside in North and South Carolina.