"What memory loves, remains eternal. I love you with memory, imperishable."

With a quote from the poet Adélia Prado, the coordinator of the Department of Journalism and Communication (DEJOR) at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz), Raquel Aguiar, started the second edition of the 'Somos Manguinhos' project.

The honoree was none other than the scientist Carlos Chagas, one of the icons of Brazilian science.

The session, integrated into the Center for Studies of IOC and carried out in partnership with Casa de Oswaldo Cruz (COC/Fiocruz), concluded the celebrations of the Institute's 124th anniversary, whose program began on May 22nd. Check coverage. 

“Carlos Chagas, in my view, had a multidisciplinary characteristic that contributed greatly to Brazilian and global science. At the age of 30, he made incredible discoveries, which drew attention to the problems of the country's backlands. I consider him an example to be followed by young scientists”, declared Ricardo Lourenço, a retired researcher from the IOC and host of the 'Somos Manguinhos' project, before calling Simone Kropf, a COC researcher, to talk about the life and contributions of the patron of one of the most peculiar, productive and traditional lines of study in the world. IOC. In 2024, the 145th anniversary of the scientist's birth and the 115th anniversary of the discovery that immortalized his name will be celebrated.  

“When I started researching the history of Chagas disease, it soon became clear that the 'triple discovery' (disease, the cause and the transmitter) was, inseparably, also an issue for Brazilian society and nation at that historical moment. , of a young republic that was modernizing and that saw science as a decisive instrument in this project”, commented Kropf at the beginning of the lecture.

Simone also highlighted how the trajectory of the disease and its recognition as a medical fact and public health problem are exemplary cases of the relationship between science and society.

“As Carlos Chagas developed his scientific knowledge about the new disease, he also highlighted the importance of science in revealing and reporting health problems in the Brazilian backlands. Chagas saw science as not only a means of understanding and treating diseases, but also an essential instrument for promoting improvements in the quality of life of the country’s most vulnerable populations,” he said.

With the dynamics of an open pulpit, the session provided the audience with the possibility of expressing their perceptions regarding the scientist. Director Tania Araujo-Jorge (IOC); the Institute's researchers, Martha Mutis, Teresa Fernandes, Claudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro and Nazaré Soeiro; in addition to Maria da Glória Chagas Antici, granddaughter of Carlos Chagas, and Magali Romero Sá (COC); were some of the statements made. 

'We Are Manguinhos' Project

Created by the Department of Journalism and Communication (DEJOT/IOC), 'Somos Manguinhos' aims to share the memory of people, groups, spaces and structures of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz). 

A first session, held in November 2023, paid homage to the trajectory and legacy of researcher Sylvio Celso Gonçalves da Costa, who worked for more than 50 years at the Institute and passed away about a year ago.