Braz J Med Biol Res, December 1999, Volume 32(12) 1455-1456 (Obituary)
MICHEL ABU JAMRA (1916-1999)
Michel Abu Jamra was born in São Paulo on August 13, 1916. He obtained his M.D. from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo in 1940.
He was one of the organizers of the Hematology Sector of the University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, USP. He created and organized the Clinical Hematology and Hemotherapy Service and contributed to the studies and careers of many physicians dedicated to this specialty.
From 1986 to his death in 1999 he devoted his medical, teaching and academic activities to the Maria Cecília Souto Vidigal Foundation.
He published his first paper in hematology in 1939 and made important contributions to the area of clinical experimentation on the various modalities of anemias and of leukemias and lymphomas, as well as clotting disorders (about 240 papers published in Brazilian and international journals).
In 1968 he created the Revista Brasileira de Pesquisas Médicas e Biológicas, today called Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research. He was the Editor of the journal from 1968 to 1980 and during those 12 years he maintained a regular schedule of publication. His promotion of peer review permitted the Journal to be one of the few Brazilian and Latin American periodicals indexed by Current Contents and included in the Science Citation Index.
In 1980, the Scientific Societies of the Biomedical Area, considering the increasing scientific production in the field, decided to create a journal of international level to be a vehicle for Brazilian production. With the intervention of Professor José Duarte, Vice-President of the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (CNPq), which had been granting financial aid to maintain the Revista Brasileira de Pesquisas Médicas e Biológicas, negotiations were started with Professor Michel Jamra, which culminated in the transfer of the Revista to several Scientific Societies. The Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica (ABDC) was created, at that time consisting of 5 Brazilian Scientific Societies: Sociedade Brasileira de Biofísica (SBBf), Sociedade Brasileira de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular (SBBq), Sociedade Brasileira de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental (SBFTE), Sociedade Brasileira de Fisiologia (SBFis), and Sociedade Brasileira de Investigação Clínica (SBIC), which became responsible for the Journal. Even though he was no longer its Editor, from 1981on Prof. Michel Jamra continued to be faithfully present at all events concerning the Journal, acting as a member of the Deliberative Council of ABDC as the representative of the Sociedade Brasileira de Investigação Clínica. Like a dedicated father and as a born scientist, he continued to take care of his creature, always trying to contribute to the maintenance of its level and credibility.
Among his other achievements, Prof. Michel Jamra was an effective contributor to the dissemination of science. The Revista Brasileira de Pesquisas Médicas e Biológicas, today the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, is an important legacy left by him which will have to be nurtured with high respect by the Brazilian scientific community. Our gratitude goes to this kind, intelligent, enthusiastic and enterprising scientist whose presence will be greatly missed.
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
26 Nov 1999 -
Date of issue
Dec 1999
