Feb 2015
Dr. Joffre Marcondes de Rezende. Source: Universidade de Goiânia.
Fiocruz deeply regrets the death of Prof. Dr. Joffre Marcondes de Rezende, last January 26th, in Goiania, Brazil. Prof. Joffre died at the age of 93, from which 64 were dedicated to medicine. He was one of the founders of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine and the Brazilian Society of Medicine History. His path blends with the paths of the Federal University of Goias (UFG), where he founded a Medical School, a Clinics Hospital and a publishing house, among others.
He was acknowledged for his acting in clinical and research fields, being honored several times, among them, Emeritus Professor of the UFG (1992) and Honorary Doctor at the Brasilia University (UnB) in 2006. Professor Joffre greatly contributed with the megaesophagus’ clinical and epidemiological studies and was the first researcher to affirm, in 1956, it is caused by Chagas’ Disease.
The professor proposed the classification of megaesophagus in groups, until today used by the scientific community and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). To medicine, particularly in the area of Gastroenterology, knowledge about Chagas disease has two phases: before and after the discovery of Dr. Joffre Marcondes de Rezende on the degeneration of the esophagus in the development of the disease.
In 2009, when was celebrated the discovery of the centenary of the Chagas disease, his article on the digestive form of the illness, originally published in 1956, was selected by Fiocruz to be published in a collection among the 15 most important texts already written about the disease.
Find more about the work of Dr. Joffre and Cagas disease in HCS-Manguinhos:
REZENDE, Joffre M. de. The scientific journey taken by Neiva and Penna: a blueprint for studies of diseases from the Brazilian hinterland. Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos [online]. 2009, vol.16, suppl.1, pp. 265-288. ISSN 0104-5970.
Kropf, Simone Petraglia and Sá, Magali Romero. The discovery of Trypanosoma cruzi and Chagas disease (1908-1909): tropical medicine in Brazil. Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, July 2009, vol.16, suppl.1, p.13-34. ISSN 0104-5970
Zabala, Juan Pablo. Historia de la enfermedad de Chagas en Argentina: evolución conceptual, institucional y política. Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Jul 2009, vol.16, suppl.1, p.57-74. ISSN 0104-5970
Gachelin, Gabriel and Opinel, Annick The reception by French physicians of Chagas’ discovery of Trypanosoma cruziand American trypanosomiasis (1909-1925). Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, July 2009, vol.16, suppl.1, p.35-56. ISSN 0104-5970
