Antonio Coimbra: Percursos e Caminhos do Pioneiro da Investigação em Dor em Portugal

Abstract

Antonio Coimbra (1928-2021) played a pioneering role in scientific research on Pain in Portugal, an area that has expanded greatly since its inception. This paper aims to reconstruct the biography of this unique figure in national science, analyzing aspects of his academic, scientific and personal trajectory, and contextualizing the impact of his teachings and examples in creating a true scientific lineage. To carry out the work, in addition to researching documents related to his academic and clinical career, scientific articles he published, doctoral theses he supervised, and the book he wrote about the History of Science and Medicine, a field he dedicated himself to after retiring, were analyzed. Additionally, in order to know a little more about the man behind the academic career, several collaborators and disciples of the Professor, as well as his direct family members, were interviewed. Born and raised in Porto, graduated in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of Porto, he specialized in Neurology and Neurosurgery, and received scientific training in several world-renowned laboratories. Some of the articles he published in the area of Pain are still currently cited and are among the most cited articles in that field, showing the impact of his findings. This paper demonstrates and concludes that Antonio Coimbra was a visionary academic and scientist, with a sense of mission, critical thinking, enormous rigor, persistence and a strong sense of justice. As such, he should be rightfully considered the Father of Pain Research in Portugal