EDITORIAL EDITORIAL

A great season for internationalization of brazilian medical research

Eduardo M. Rocha

Physician, Departamento de Oftalmologia, Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e Pescoço, Universidade de São Paulo - USP - Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil

The news from Brazil projects optimism towards the future. Sports, business, politics and also in science and technology, Brazil was pictured among the best of the world.

In health sciences there was the highest visibility ever in international journals for what is going on in our hospitals and universities^(1-3). For example, The Economist journal called the attention of researchers from the whole world about training and job opportunities in biomedical research in Brazil⁽⁴⁾.

The participation of Brazilian researchers and institutions in breakthroughs in sciences is being noticed almost every week in national daily news and major scientific journals^(5,6). Brazilian federal agencies for research (i.e., CAPES and CNPq) are making big efforts, providing grants for our institutions and students focused on internationalization. Also, it is a good moment to bring back those researchers, whom in previous decades moved and build up their carriers in USA or Europe. In the same way, it is more common now, in order to choose an international key speaker for a conference in Brazil, have among the best options one native Brazilian scientist.

The reason for all those favorable events of Brazilian science is the economic stability and its persistency in good standards for the last 15 years. Also, the delicate economic moment for several European countries and USA culminate with the perception that Brazil may have a seat among the leaders.

However, the scenario is competitive and there are limited chairs. China, India ad other countries are also making high investments and good choices to a more comfortable and healthier future through a scientific and technological medical revolution. In addition, traditional leaders are experts in revert crisis. Considering that, we all know that there is a lot to do to put Brazilian science and technology among the top 5 of the world.

The odds were never so favorable to Brazil and as our readers could observe along 2011, ABO is taking part of this effort to show worldwide the best ophthalmic research produced in Brazil and to publish good scientific information, wherever in the world it is being produced. To achieve that, in 2011 we have changed the electronic submission system, intensified international networking and made easier to authors to submit their best work and to adhere to international medical publishing guidelines⁽⁷⁾.

In consideration to our readers and authors, we wish to be serving medical sciences more and better in 2012.

References

1. Regalado A. Science in Brazil. Brazilian science: riding a gusher. Science. 2010;330(6009): 1306-12.         

2. Brazil's biotech boom. Nature. 2010;466(7304):295.         

3. Zorzetto R, Razzouk D, Dubugras MT, Gerolin J, Schor N, Guimarães JA, et al. The scientific production in health and biological sciences of the top 20 Brazilian universities. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2006;39(12):1513-20.         

4. Go south, young scientist. An emerging power in research. The Economist [Internet]. 2011 [cited 2011 Dec 23]. Available from: http://www.economist.com/node/17851421        

5. Dolgin E. In Brazil, basic stem cell research lags behind clinical trials. Nat Med. 2011; 17(10): 1172.         

6. May M. Brazilian drug companies hope to benefit from foreign investment. Nat Med. 2011; 17(10):1171.         

7. Chamon W, Melo Jr. LA. Impact factor and insertion of the ABO in the world scientific literature [editorial]. Arq Bras Oftalmol. 2011;74(4):241-2.         

Submitted for publication: January 19, 2012
Accepted for publication: January 20, 2012

Funding: No specific financial support was available for this study.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest: E.M.Rocha, None.