Carlos Chagas Filho (b. September 19th, 1910; d. February 16th, 2000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) was a Brazilian physician, biologist and scientist active in the field of neuroscience. He was internationally reknowned for his investigations on the neural mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of electrogenesis by the electroplaques of electric fishes. He was also an important scientific leader, being one of the founders of the Biophysics Institute of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and was also a president for 16 years of the Vatican's Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and president of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (1965-1967). September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... -1... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Ipanema beach, in the South Zone, immortalised by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Morais song The Girl from Ipanema Cristo Redentor, the famous Christ the Redeemer statue at the top of the Corcovado mountain A NASA satellite image of Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro (meaning River of January in... Physician examining a child A physician is a person who practices medicine. ... A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of organisms. ... Albert Einstein is almost without question, currently the most widely recognized scientist among the general public. ... Neuroscience is a field of study that deals with the structure, function, development, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology of the nervous system, divided into the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), and the peripheral nervous system, consisting of the myriad nerve pathways running throughout the body. ... Neurophysiology is a part of physiology as a science, which is concerned with the study of the nervous system. ... Electrocytes, electroplaques or electroplaxs are cells used by rays, electric eels and other electric fish for electrogenesis and electroreception. ... TABEL OF ALL KNOWN ELEKTRIC FISHES WITHIN FRESHWATER HABITATS (= all known electric bony fishes): In salt water there is only one order, the Torpediniformes (electric rays), inside the chondrichthyes that shows species generating even strong electric pulses (genus Torpedo spp. ... The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ) is the largest federal university of Brazil, where state-owned colleges are the best and most qualified institutions. ... The Pontifical Academy of Sciences was founded in 1936 under its current name by Pope Pius XI and is placed under the protection of the reigning Supreme Pontiff (the current Pope). ... The Brazilian Academy of Sciences (Portuguese: Academia Brasileira de Ciências or ABC) is the national academy of Brazil. ...

Life

He was the second son of Dr. Carlos Chagas (1879-1934), an eminent scientist who is credited for the discovery of Chagas disease. His oldest brother was Evandro Chagas (1905-1940), also a physician and scientist specialized, like his father, in tropical medicine. Carlos Chagas Carlos Justiniano Ribeiro Chagas (born July 9, 1879, Oliveira, Minas Gerais, Brazil; died November 8, 1934, Rio de Janeiro), was a Brazilian physician. ... Tropical medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with health problems that either occur uniquely in tropical and subtropical regions or are either more widespread in the tropics or more difficult to prevent or control. ...

He studied medicine from 1926 to 1931 at the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Brasil (presently the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. While a student he worked at Manguinhos, where the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz was founded by the eminent physician Dr. Oswaldo Cruz (1872-1917) and where his father worked, as well as at a hospital in Lassance, state of Minas Gerais, where his father had discovered Chagas disease. After graduation he went to become a director of this hospital during 1932. But what he really liked to do was biomedical research, following the example of his father and colleagues, so in the next years he worked with several leaders in the field of physiology, such as Miguel Osório de Almeida (1890-1952) and José Carneiro Felippe. One year after graduation, he accepted a teaching post as assistant professor at the Medical School, in the chair of Biological Physics. With the death of its incumbent, Prof. Lafayette Rodrigues Pereira, he became its chairman and full professor. Medicine is the branch of health science and the sector of public life concerned with maintaining human health or restoring it through the treatment of disease and injury. ... The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ) is the largest federal university of Brazil, where state-owned colleges are the best and most qualified institutions. ... Instituto Oswaldo Cruz is a scientific institution for research and development in biomedical sciences located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ... Oswaldo Gonçalves Cruz (b. ... A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ... Minas Gerais (pronounced IPA ) is one of the states of Brazil, the second most populous in the federation. ... Physiology (in Greek physis = nature and logos = word) is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. ...

Feeling the need to specialize further in neurophysiology, Dr. Chagas Filho travelled to France, where he worked with René Wurmser and Alfred Fessard, in Paris, and to England, where he worked with A.V. Hill (1886-1977). Returning to Brazil, he established a Laboratory of Biophysics at the Medical School and assembled a group of students and researchers. In 1945 he achieved the elevation of the Laboratory to the Biophysics Institute, which in a short time became one of the most important and excellent research centers in Brazil. He was its director for a long time, as well as the dean of the Medical School. The Institute presently bears his name. Dr. Carlos Chagas Filho retired in 1980, but continued to work steadfastly almost until his death, at 89 years of age. The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK... Archibald Vivian Hill (September 26, 1886–June 3, 1977) was a British physiologist, one of the founders of the diverse discilines of biophysics and operations research. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Work

Dr. Chagas Filho's main scientific contribution was centered on the study of the eletroplaques of the poraque (Electrophorus electricus), a fresh water electric eel which is endemic in the Amazon. With his group, he made important and original advances in the elucidation of its anatomy and electrophysiology, cytochemistry, as well as its nervous control. He discovered the brain command structures which control electrical discharges. He discovered also that the electroplaques has two kinds of excitability, one which is direct, and another which is reflex via the nervous pathways. He studied also the effects of curare on the electroplaques, which are modified striated muscles and thus have synaptic transmission based on acetylcholine (curare is an antagonist of this neurotransmitter). Dr. Chagas Filho also isolated the ACh membrane receptor. Binomial name Electrophorus electricus Linnaeus, 1766 The electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) is a species of fish. ... The name Amazon may refer to several concepts: The legendary Amazons, women renowned in antiquity for their prowess in battle. ... Anatomical drawing of the human muscles from the Encyclopédie. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Strychnos toxifera by Koehler 1887 Curare is a substance containing the alkaloid D-tubocurarine. ... Structure of a skeletal muscle Skeletal muscle is a type of striated muscle, attached to the skeleton. ... Illustration of the major elements in a prototypical synapse. ... The chemical compound acetylcholine, often abbreviated as ACh, was the first neurotransmitter to be identified. ... Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate electrical signals between a neuron and another cell. ...

As an educator, Dr. Chagas Filho left a very important influence on biomedical research in Brazil, through his many scientific disciples and colleagues at the Biophysics Institute, many of whom went to became leaders themselves in neurophysiology, such as Hertha Meyer, Hiss Martins Ferreira, Eduardo Oswaldo Cruz Filho, Ricardo Gattass, Aristides Azevedo Pacheco Leão, Eduardo Penna Franca, Gustavo de Oliveira Castro, Darcy Fontoura de Almeida, Antonio Paes de Carvalho, Carlos Guinle da Rocha Miranda, Romualdo José do Carmo and several others. It was during the initial years of the Institute, also, that Rita Levi-Montalcini (1901-), then a young researcher of Jewish descent who had to escape fascism, worked towards her important discoveries on neurotrophic factors, supported by Carlos Chagas Filho. She later went to receive the Nobel Prize of Physiology and Medicine. Rita Levi-Montalcini (born April 22, 1909 in Turin) is an Italian-American neurologist who, together with colleague Stanley Cohen, received the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of growth factors. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Neurotrophins are a family of molecules that encourage survival of nervous tissue. ...

He published several books, including an autobiography, a biographical memoir about his father and more than 100 scientific papers.

Scientific leadership and honours

Dr. Chagas Filho played a significant role as international leader and representative of Brazilian science abroad. He was a Brazilian delegate and ambassador (1966) to UNESCO in Paris, and member of the Research Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in Washington, DC. At the United Nations he was president of the Special Committe for the Application of Science and Technology to Development. Together with Nobel prize winner, physicist Abdus Salam (1926-1996), he founded the Interrnational Federation of Institutes for Advanced Sciences (IFIAS). UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1945. ... The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency with 100 years of experience in working to improve health and living standards of the countries of the Americas. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Nobel, (Swedish pronunciation: nou´bell ), can mean: Nobel Prize - awarded annually since 1901, from the request of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel Nobel Prize in Physics Nobel Prize in Chemistry Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize for Literature Nobel Peace Prize Laureates/Winners of the Nobel Prize By Country... Prof. ...

In 1972 he was appointed by Pope Paul VI to the presidency of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which he occupied until 1989. During his tenure, he was distinguished with the historical task of rehabilitating Galileo Galilei by the Roman Catholic Church and with coordinating a study of the historical and scientific validity of the Turin shroud. He was deeply religious but sought to reconcile science and religion as best as possible. Thus, he led the Academy of Sciences through a number of important meetings and publications, examining controversial issues such as the brain and conscience, and attracting great scientific personalities to the Academy, including a number of Nobel awardees. Pope Paul VI (Latin: ), born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), reigned as Pope and as sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. ... Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei (Pisa, February 15, 1564 – Arcetri, January 8, 1642), was an Italian physicist, astronomer, and philosopher who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. ... The Roman Catholic Church (also known as the Catholic Church) is that Christian Church which is led by the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that it is the one holy catholic and apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ. ... The first photo of the Shroud of Turin, taken in 1898, had the surprising feature that the image on the negative was clearer than the positive image. ... Comparative brain sizes In animals, the brain, or encephalon (Greek for in the head), acts as the control center of the central nervous system. ... Conscience is generally thought of as a moral faculty, sense, or feeling that impels individuals to believe that particular activities are morally right or wrong. ...

In Brazil he was a member, vice-president and president of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (1941-2000) and member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters (1974-2000), a nember of the National Research Council and one of the founders and member of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science. The Brazilian Academy of Sciences (Portuguese: Academia Brasileira de Ciências or ABC) is the national academy of Brazil. ... Academia Brasileira de Letras, or Brazilian Academy of Letters is a Brazilian literary society established at the end of the 19th century by a group of writers and was inspired by the Académie française. ... The Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (National Council of Scientific and Technological Development -- CNPq) is a organization of the Brazilian federal government under the Ministry of Science of Technology, devoted to funding of science and technology in the country. ... Sociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da Ciência (Portuguese for Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science) is a Brazilian scientific society created in 1948 by several prominent scientists, with the aim of promoting science, culture and education in the country by means of publications, conferences and political actions on...

Carlos Chagas Filho was awarded with 16 titles of Honoris Causa Doctor in many national and foreign universities, and 19 decorations, including that of Légion d'Honneur (1979). He was a member of the French Académie des Sciences and Académie National de Médicine, Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Philosophical Academy, Royal Academy of Belgium, Romenian Academy of Sciences and the International Academy of the History of Sciences. Honoris causa (plural: Causae) is a Latin term meaning for the sake of honor, abbreviated as . ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Knights badge of the Legion of Honour The Légion dhonneur (Legion of Honor (AmE) or Legion of Honour (ComE)) is an Order of Chivalry first established by Napoléon Bonaparte, First Consul of the French Republic, on May 19, 1802. ... The French Academy of Sciences (Académie des sciences) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research. ... The House of the Academy, Cambridge, Massachusetts. ...

Among his many scientific awards, he received the Moinho Santista Science Prize (1960); the Prêmio Álvaro Alberto para a Ciência e Tecnologia (1988); and the Prix Mondial Cino del Duca, by the Fondation Simone et Cino del Duca, France (1989)

Bibliography

• Chagas Filho, C. Carlos Chagas, Meu Pai. Rio de Janeiro, Casa de Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, 1993.
• E Gomes-Quintana, RD Machado, C Chagas Filho. Cholinergic membranes from normal and denervated electric organ of Electrophorus electricus (L.). IRCS Med. Sci Biochem, 1980.
• CS Mermelstein, V Moura Neto, C Chagas Filho . Desmin expression in the electric organs of Electrophorus electricus (L.). J Cell Biochem, 1988.
• H Meyer, G Oliveira Castro, C Chagas Filho. Quelques aspects de l’histogenese et de l’ontogenese des organes électriques chez l’ Electrophorus electricus… CR Acad Sci Paris, 1971.
• C Chagas Filho, E Penna-Franca, A Hassón-Voloch. Studies of the mechanism of curarization. An Acad Bras Cien, 1957.

External links

• Almeida DF. Carlos Chagas Filho, Scientist and Citizen. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2000 Sep;72(3):299-300. Full text in English
• Carlos Chagas Filho. Brazilian Academy of Sciences biography (In English)
• Carlos Chagas Filho. Notable Brazilians. Instituto Brasileiro de Informação Científica e Tecnológica. (In Portuguese)
• Carlos Chagas Filho. Brazilian Academy of Letters biography (in Portuguese)
• Pinto-Dias, JC. Carlos Chagas Filho e a doença de Chagas. Alguns traços à luz de confidências e inconfidências . Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop. 2000; 33(3). Eulogy (in Portuguese). Full text
• Biography and interviews. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. (In Portuguese)

• Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho website.