An idea comes true...

EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT

An idea comes true...

Silvia Regina C. Sartori Barraviera, MD, PhD^I; Benedito Barraviera, MD, Ph.D^II

^IDirector of CEVAP, [e-mail] ^IIEditor-in-Chief J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl. Trop. Dis.,[e-mail]

CEVAP, Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals (UNESP) was founded in 1989 and includes researchers from the Araraquara School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Botucatu School of Medicine, Botucatu School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Botucatu Institute of Biosciences, and Rio Claro Institute of Biosciences.

In 1994, to fulfill the University’s objectives, that is, teaching, research, and assistance to the community, the book "Venoms – clinical and therapeutic aspects of envenoming" was published. This book was coordinated by Professor Benedito Barraviera with the collaboration of twenty-three CEVAP researchers and thirteen from other institutions.

CEVAP also developed and produced a video library on Toxinology, consisting of twenty titles on the different aspects of envenoming; it is part of a collection from several Brazilian and international institutions.

In 1995, CEVAP launched the first electronic journal in Brazil. This culminated in the development of teaching materials for undergraduate and graduate studies. So far, the CD-ROMs on the following subjects were released: Snake Envenoming, Venomous Arthropods of Medical Interest, Vaccines against Viruses, Vaccines against Bacteria and Toxins, and more recently Sexually Transmissible Diseases.

This material and the home page available at www.cevap.org.br have allowed CEVAP researchers to give long-distance and extension courses, making it possible to train and retrain professionals here in Brazil and abroad. In addition to the long-distance, CEVAP offers regular specialization courses, which up to now has trained 26 national and 14 foreign specialists.

CEVAP gives courses and training programs to assist companies, schools, universities, and the community in general.

Despite not offering graduation courses, CEVAP has supported research through the development of several research lines, with special emphasis on the development of snake venom-derived fibrin glue, with national acclaim. The different research groups have so far produced: eight master’s dissertations and eleven PhD theses in the areas of venom, fibrin glue, and electronic publishing.

The Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases is one of CEVAP’s pride and joy. This will complete ten years of circulation in 2004. It is published in English and is now availableat its new site www.jvat.org.br. In 1997, the journal was included in SciELO – www.scielo.br – the first Scientific Electronic Library Online in Brazil. So far, The Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases has published 17 review articles, 76 original papers, 15 short communications, 3 case reports, 52 theses, and 232 abstracts from congresses and scientific meetings. Recently, it has included papers on Tropical Diseases.

Last but not least, CEVAP proudly fulfills its academic role promoting high quality teaching and research in addition to a social role through responsible and comprehensive university extension.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  09 Dec 2003
• Date of issue
  2003