OBITUARY
Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (Unicamp)
It is with deep sorrow that we report the precocious death of Christine ("Chris") Hackel on the afternoon of September 26th, 2013 in São José dos Campos, SP, city where she was born and to where she moved back after retiring as Associate Professor of the Department of Medical Genetics of the School of Medical Sciences at Unicamp.
Christine Hackel graduated in Medical Biology at UNIFESP in São Paulo in 1976, finished a PhD in genetics at USP in 1982, had a Post-Doc in molecular genetics at Université Libre de Bruxelles between 1988 and 1990, and concluded a specialization in molecular cytogenetics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences in 1995. She started her career as professor at the Medical School in Jundiaí in 1978 and joined the Department of Medical Genetics at Unicamp in 1980, where she retired in 2003 but kept working as volunteer collaborative professor until 2005.
She was head of the Laboratory of Human Cytogenetics of this department, a position that she had great expertise. After returning from her training in molecular genetics in Belgium, she started to work at the Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG) and dedicated herself to the study of the molecular basis of disorders of the sex development, especially the androgen receptor gene and the 5-alpha reductase type 2 gene. Her academic career included the orientation of several monographs of undergraduate students, 10 master dissertations, and six PhD thesis, being author of 45 papers published in academic journals and co-author of four book chapters. She was also an ad hoc reviewer of research projects at FAPESP, FAPERJ, and CNPq.
Her contributions to the University included the coordination of the Graduate Program in Biological Sciences and Genetics at the Institute of Biology, the Graduate Program in Medical Sciences at the School of Medical Sciences, the Laboratory of Genetic Sequencing of the Human Cancer Genome (FAPESP/Institute Ludwig), and the Commission on Graduate Education of the School of Medical Sciences. She was also an active defender of the teaching of medical genetics during the curriculum reform in the medi-cal school implemented in 2003.
As a professor, she is remembered for her highquality didactic skills in every issue she had to teach. Gifted with ambidextrous abilities, her drawings surprised most students during the classes. She also had a genuine interest in understanding the need of any student or patient and was always available for scientific discussions. As a beloved colleague, Chris will be remembered as having a cheerful, radiant personality. She touched our lives in all the loving ways and will always be in our hearts and in our memories.
Christine Hackel (1955-2013)
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
24 Mar 2014 -
Date of issue
2014
