Back in Brazil

摘要

Victor and Ruth Nussenzweig, both 85 years old and married for 60 years, are pioneers of malaria research. The couple built their careers at New York University, having fled their home country, Brazil, in 1963, to escape a coup d'etat, like other leading scientists did. But since 2010 they have spent 12 weeks per year in Brazil advising scientists at the Federal University of Sao Paulo on malaria research. The arrangement is thanks to the Sao Paulo Excellence Chair, a program developed by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), which offers grants to senior scientists with permanent positions abroad to spend three months of the year in Sao Paulo for five years, in order to stimulate new research groups there.