Cesar Gomes Victora, an epidemiologist from the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), won the 35th Admiral Álvaro Alberto Award for Science and Technology in the Health Sciences category, announced in April. The honor is awarded by Brazil’s National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI), in partnership with the Brazilian Navy. Victora, 71, will receive a medal, a diploma, and R$200,000 from the MCTI and CNPq. With a degree in medicine from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and a PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Victora has highlighted the importance of breastfeeding to prevent infant mortality. His studies in this area led the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend that mothers exclusively breast feed their babies during the first six months of their lives (see Pesquisa FAPESP issue no. 208). His work has also indicated that the care received in the first thousand days of a child’s life can influence their physical and mental health from childhood into adulthood.
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Victora receives Admiral Álvaro Alberto Award
Cesar Victora, UFPel epidemiologist
Rafael Venuto/Abrasco
