Professor Michel Abu Jamra was born on August 13, 1916. During the 10th Recycling Course of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein held in conjunction with the MD Anderson Cancer Center, we could not fail to pay tribute to the 100 years that would have been completed by this eminent professor.
This homage, suggested by Dr. Jose Moura Magalhães, was deservedly presented during the event.
Both the authors worked with and learned very much from Professor Jamra and together with other colleagues, especially Prof. Carlos Sergio Chiattone, they continued to receive the guidance of Professor Jamra even after his retirement. The professor always made a point of separating works of interest for each of us, taking advantage of his library at the Maria Cecilia Vidigal Foundation, where he held scientific meetings on Fridays followed by moments of relaxation drinking beer, his favorite drink.
It was during one of these meetings that Professor Jamra suggested the "Second Hemotherapy Meeting - 50 years later" at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. The last meeting of the event took place on August 10, a Friday, in the Pandoro restaurant with beer and pasties. Unfortunately, on Monday Professor Jamra suffered a sudden death.
Professor Michel Abu Jamra graduated from the Medicine School, Universidade de São Paulo in 1940. He had a brilliant university career, PhD in 1946 and professor in 1947.
In 1972, Professor Michel Jamra chaired the XIV Congress of the International Society of Hematology held in São Paulo, which brought considerable advances in the specialty and recognition to Brazilian hematology.
In 1977, he became Professor of Hematology and head of the Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Discipline at FMUSP.
Among the first disciples of Abu Jamra are: Domingos M. de Cillo, Victorio Maspes, Therezinha Verrastro, Eurico Coelho, Therezinha Ferreira Lorenzi, Norma Wollner, João Targino de Araújo, Orlando César de Oliveira Barreto and Waltraut Lay.
Others trained with him for one to two years who then returned to their home towns to become prominent hematologists were: Romeu Ibrahim de Carvalho, Sidney de Morais Rêgo, Dilson José Fernandes, Meirione Costa e Silva, Romildo Lins, Estácio Gonzaga Filho, Gilson Saraiva de Mello, Linete Vasconcelos Rocha, Luiz Gonzaga dos Santos, Maria Helena Pitombeira and Jaime Asfora.
In 1965, he started the Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal Foundation the name of his former patient who died of leukemia at 14 years old. The Foundation was a legacy of Gastao Vidigal and family, owners of the Banco Mercantil, to Professor Abu Jamra in recognition of his treatment and care of this adolescent. He was the scientific director of this Hematology Institute, created to study leukemia and related diseases, until his death in June 1999.
He published more than 250 scientific papers and helped to prepare masters and doctoral theses. He actively participated in the installation of Pró-Sangue in Brazil and the creation of the São Paulo Blood Center. He received many merited awards in Brazil and abroad.
He was a member of the Medical Academy of Sao Paulo and a founding member of both the Brazilian Society of Hematology and the Brazilian College of Hematology.
He actively participated in the journal of the Hospital das Clínicas and established the Revista Brasileira de Pesquisas Médicas e Biológicas later called the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research that became, and still is, one of the most prestigious publications in Brazil.
Michel Abu Jamra died in 1999 before his 83rd birthday.
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
Oct-Dec 2016