To train highly qualified students and researchers to work on areas connected to children’s health in the academic realm of Brazil and of other countries.
To provide training for students in scientific research techniques in several areas of interest, such as neurosciences, imaging, immunology and molecular biology, respirology, epidemiology of childhood diseases, pediatric and neo-natal intensive care (see research lines below).
The Graduate Program in Pediatrics and Child Health carries out different projects geared towards knowledge exchange in the scientific field and the use of the advances of basic and clinical research with innovative character to benefit the community, by relying on an interdisciplinary team of professors and scholars and with the support of national and international researchers from other courses and institutions,. In other words, we aim to transfer the experience gained in basic and clinical research to other university centers and to the community.
A central objective of the GPP is to expand to regional programs such as DINTER (Doctoral programs offered to areas in need of this expertise) and the internationalization of the Program.
The Graduate Program in Pediatrics (GPP) and Child Health of PUCRS (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul) started in 1995, with a Master’s Degree in Pediatrics. In 2004 the Program started offering a Doctoral degree, also approved and recommended by CAPES (Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education). The Program’s productivity and number of students have grown significantly ever since.
The GPP has 15 permanent professors and approximately 100 Master’s and Doctoral students. It enjoys very good reputation as it has earned grade 6 (out of a maximum of 7 points of excellency) by CAPES. There is a great number of productive research in both basic and applied areas related to Child Health, with high-impact scientific production.
The GPP is located at the Health Complex area of PUCRS, in close connection with the São Lucas Hospital, the Institute of Biomedical Research, the Laboratory of Medical Skills and the Brain Institute (INSCER).
The Program´s curriculum relies on basic courses discussing research methodology, epidemiology, biostatistics, teaching methodology and article reading and production. The main objective of the courses is to prepare students to conduct translational scientific research, with the most direct possibility of application and benefits for children’s health. The professors have different areas of interest, covering different areas of Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Biology, Pharmacy and other topics related to pediatric health.
The professors are also involved with teaching undergraduate students which results in a complete integration of basic and applied areas of child health topics. These researchers are involved with important scientific production and are in close connection with other national and international research groups. The mobility of the student body is greatly encouraged within the PDSE projects (“doctoral research internships”), as well as the welcoming of international students for postdoctoral studies.
The Program’s internal structure is assessed continuously regarding the quality of the researcher’s scientific production, in order to maintain highly motivated staff and students.