Carlos Chagas Filho

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Carlos Chagas Filho , Carlos Chagas junior, (born September 12, 1910 in Rio de Janeiro ; † February 16, 2000 ibid) was a Brazilian biophysicist and founder of the Institute for Biophysics at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro .

He was the son of Carlos Chagas and studied medicine at Rio State University from 1926 to 1931. In 1932 he became director of the hospital in Lassance in the province of Minas Gerais , where his father discovered Chagas disease . Since he wanted to work in research, he went back to the University of Rio, where he became professor of biophysics. He visited England and France for further training in neurophysiology . From its founding in 1946 to 1980 he was director of the Biophysical Institute and also temporarily dean of the medical faculty. Today the institute is named after him (ICBBF).

He studied the mechanisms of electrical discharge in the electric eel of the Amazon and its control by the nervous system . In doing so, he made some neuroscientific discoveries such as the identification of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in muscles . From 1965 to 1967 he was President of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. He was also President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences for sixteen years from 1972 to 1989 . He was also a member of the French Legion of Honor (1979, commander), the Académie des Sciences , the American Philosophical Society (1968), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1970) and, from 1976, the Leopoldina , and received sixteen honorary doctorates from various universities. In 1966 he was the Brazilian UNESCO representative.

In 1974 he was elected a member of the Academia Brasileira de Letras , seat 9.

He wrote several books, including a biography of his father published in 1993.

literature

  • Darcy Fontoura de Almeida: Carlos Chagas Filho, September 12, 1910 - February 16, 2000. In: Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 147 (1) / 2003. American Philosophical Society, pp. 77-82, ISSN  0003-049X

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Chagas Filho, Carlos
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Chagas junior, Carlos
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Brazilian biophysicist
DATE OF BIRTH September 12, 1910
PLACE OF BIRTH Rio de Janeiro
DATE OF DEATH February 16, 2000
Place of death Rio de Janeiro