The epidemiologist Cesar Victora, 65, becomes today the first Brazilian researcher among the winners of the Gairdner Prize, the most important scientific award in Canada and one of the most respected worldwide in the area of ??health sciences. The announcement was made at a ceremony at 9am in the city of Toronto, Canada.

Since 1957, the Gairdner Award recognizes seven scientists annually for their contributions to medical and global health research, and has awarded more than 360 researchers in 30 countries. Victora was a winner in the Global Health category with the John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award, which recognizes scientific advances that have had a profound impact on health in developing countries. Each of the winners is considered a potential candidate for the Nobel Prize - among the Gairdner laureates, 84 were later awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology.

Professor emeritus of the Federal University of Pelotas, Victora distinguished himself by his studies on breastfeeding and maternal and child nutrition, which demonstrated the impact of exclusive breastfeeding on infant mortality and the effects of nutrition in the early years on childhood to adulthood health.