Memorial text in honor of Dr. Ángela Restrepo Moreno

Dr. Ángela Restrepo Moreno was born in Medellín, capital of Antioquia state (Colombia) on November 28^th, 1931. She was graduated in Medical Technology from the Colegio Mayor de Antioquia, in 1955, when few women could dedicate their lives to a profession. Her education was completed in Tulane University (New Orleans, USA) – Master degree in 1960 and Doctoral degree in 1965.

Dr. Restrepo was a professor of the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology of Antioquia University School of Medicine. Later on, she was the Head of the Laboratory of Mycology and Head Professor of this University from 1964 to 1976. She also contributed to the public health, carrying out activities in the Section of Microbiology of the Public Health Laboratory – Sectional Service of Antioquia, Medellín from 1977 to 1978.

However, her activities carried out at the Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas – CIB (Corporation for Biological Investigations) were the most remarkable – she was a researcher and the Head of the Laboratory of Mycology from 1978 to 1996, and the Scientific Director from 1996 to 2015. This Center became one of the most respected in the world, and comparable with the best of the developed countries.

Image: Personal artchieve / Profa. Luz Elena Cano.

Figure 1. Dr. Ángela Restrepo Moreno.

Dr. Restrepo’s scientific production was very high and of very good quality. A search performed by the Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas e Naturales showed the publication of 315 articles and 41 chapters of books from 1961 to 2011.

During her life, Dr. Restrepo received several awards from Colombian institutions and from foreign institutions, such as Lucille K. George Award (International Society for Human and Animal Mycology, 1979), Medal Rodha Benham (Medical Mycology Society of Americas, 1990), Medal Orden al Merito Universitario Francisco Antonio Zea (Antioquia University, 1993), Doctor Honoris Causa (National University of Colombia, 2007), and Grado de Oficial de la Orden Nacional al Mérito (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Colombia, 2010), among many others.

My first personal contact with Dr. Restrepo was in 1979, at the First International Meeting on Paracoccidioidomycosis, which was held in Botucatu (São Paulo state, Brazil) under the coordination of Dr. Marcello Fabiano de Franco. Ever since, our meetings every three years permitted a better knowledge of her profile – an example of balance comprising competence, researchers’ education, ability to work in group, and also love to her profession, her team, her friends, and her Colombia.

On February 22^nd 2022, Dr. Ángela Restrepo Moreno left us. Her contribution to science and specially to paracoccidioidomycosis are immortalized, but we would like so much that she could be eternal.

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