Heráclides César de Souza Araújo

Who was Heráclides César de Souza Araújo?

Heráclides César de Souza Araújo was a Brazilian scientist known for his research into the control and treatment of leprosy. He served on the World Health Organization Expert Panel on Leprosy and on the council of the International Leprosy Association, and received national honours in recognition of his work.

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 enrolled immediately at the Faculdade de Medicina de Rio de Janeiro, finishing there in 1915. While still a student, he also completed the Curso de Applicação offered by the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz in 1913. He received his doctorate from IOC, with his thesis entitled Estudo sobre o granuloma venéreo. His training concluded with the courses in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in the USA in 1926, and in Dermatology at the London School of Dermatology between 1930 and 1931.

After graduation Souza Araújo remained affiliated with the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz and began to concentrate on the area of leprology.