Jorge Elias Kalil Filho

Jorge Kalil is Professor of Clinical Immunology and Allergy and Director of the Laboratory of Immunology at the Heart Institute (InCor), School of Medicine, University of São Paulo (FMUSP), Brazil. He is Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University, DC and at the Case Westen Reserve University, Cleveland. He represents Brazil in the International Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences since 1995. Since 2001, he coordinates iii-Institute for Investigative Immunology, a National Institute linked to the Ministry of Science and Technology, in Brazil. In addition, he co-chairs the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies - FOCIS Center of Excellence in São Paulo and he coordinates the board of the USP Pasteur Institute?s board since 2018. He is member of the DSMB for phase 3 clinical trials of vaccines anti COVID supported by the US government. Kalil graduated in Medicine in Brazil (1977), has a Master?s degree in Immunology and Immunogenetics and is Doctor of Science in Human Biology, both from the University of Paris VII, while working at Jean Dausset?s laboratory (Dr. Dausset, Nobel Prize in 1980 for the discovery of HLA). He studies the mechanisms of immune recognition and distinction of self and no self. He contributed to the understanding of T-cell allorecognition, rejection and tolerance mechanisms in organ transplantation. He was pioneer in the rethinking of antibodies and graft rejection and disfunction, and also described the mechanism of how microbes induce breakage of tolerance to self, leading to autoimmune diseases in humans. He is currently developing vaccines against COVID-19 Streptococcus, HIV, Dengue and Zika in advanced scientific stage. His academic production registers more than 600 entries indexed by the Web of Science and more than 8,000 quotations. He is the holder of several patents. Kalil spent a sabbatical year as a Visiting Professor and Co-Director of the HLA laboratory, Department of Pathology, at the Stanford School of Medicine (1991) and was International Scholar of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (1991-1995). He stayed one year in Boston as ?Distinguished Visiting Professor? at Harvard Medical School, Evergrande Institute of Immunological Diseases(2018-2019). He was President of the Heart Institute (InCor) (2006-2008) and also Chairman of the board of its support Foundation Zerbini (2006-2017), Director of the Butantan Institute and Chairman of the Board of its Foundation (2011-2017), President of the International Union of Immunological Societies (2013-2016). He was founder and first President of the Brazilian Association of Organ Transplantation, founder and Vice President of the Latin American Association of Immunology, President of the Brazilian Society of Immunology, and Head of the Department of Internal Medicine of the FMUSP. He also chaired the XIII International Congress of Immunology and was President of the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) (2013-2016). He served as Special Advisor to Minister Adib Jatene in the matter of immunobiologicals (1993-1995). Kalil was decorated by the President of Brazil as Commander and later with the Great Cross of the Brazilian Order of Scientific Merit, and by the President of France as ?Chevalier? of the National Order of Merit. Among the awards received , the World Award in Biology from the Academy of Sciences of the Developing Countries (TWAS) in 2005, and the Science Award of the Conrado Wessel Foundation in 2011. In 2013 he received the Legislative Medal of Merit, granted by the Brazilian Congress and in 2016 the Medal of Victory, for ?the defense of freedom and world peace. He is Doctor Honoris causa by Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France and from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). He has been nominated Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) and got the Honorary membership of ASTMH (2015). (Source: Lattes Curriculum)