Heráclides César de Souza Araújo was born in the state of Paraná, Brazil, in 1886. He graduated from the Escola de Farmácia de Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais and immediately enroled at the Faculdade de Medicina de Rio de Janeiro, finishing there in 1915. While still a student, he also completed the Curso de Aplicação offered by the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC) in 1913. He received his doctorate from IOC with his thesis entitled, 'Estudo sobre o granuloma venéreo'. He remained affiliated with the Institute and began to concentrate on the area of leprology. His training concluded with the courses in Public Health at John Hopkins University in the USA in 1926, and in Dermatology at the London School of Dermatology between 1930 and 1931.

As researcher at IOC, he published around 210 scientific works, and headed the Leprology Laboratory from 1927 to 1956. He also edited the journal, Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz during the same period. He was head of the Bacteriology Section and of the Divison of Microbiology and Immunology from 1946 to 1956, and professor of the application course from 1928 to 1956.

As an internationally renowned researcher, Souza Araújo had an important role in the creation of the International Society of Leprology, holding the post of vice-president from 1932 to 1956.

He dedicated himself to research into the control and treatment of leprosy, and played an important role both as a formulator of policy and as a critic of the policies and public iniciatives in the field of leprosy. He visited the main institutions involved in the study of and fight against the disease, both in Brazil and abroad. He was nominated Knight-Commander of the Military and Hospital Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem in 1936 and was a member of the WHO Expert Panel on Leprosy.

Despite retiring in 1956, he continued working at IOC until his death in 1962. In 1960 the Brasilian Government awarded him the Order of Medical Merit in recognition of his outstanding work. He was a Councillor of the International Leprosy Association and patron of the Center for the Study of Leprosy of the University of Parana to which he donated his personal collection of books on leprosy.

(Information from biographical details in Guia do Acervo da Casa de Oswaldo Cruz. COC/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, 1995. pp59-60) and International Journal of Leprosy, Centennial Festskrift edition, Vol 41, No 2. 1973.

Entry made on 18 September 2002. Amended 11 April 2006.

Research Institute(s) associated with:
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil