Doctor, UFBA School of Medicine, 1976; Doctorate in Human Pathology in 1988. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, and Commander of the Brazilian National Order of Scientific Merit. He is currently a researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ-Bahia) and Professor at the School of Medicine in Bahia (Federal University of Bahia). He acts in the area of Immunoparasitology. The most frequent subjects of his scientific production are: leishmaniasis, Immunoregulation and vaccine. He was Dean of Research and Graduate Studies at UFBA, and Director of the School of Medicine in Bahia (UFBA). He was Director of Sectoral and Thematic Programs at CNPq, a member of the Scientific Technical Advisory Services (CATC) at CNPq Lattes, CNPq, and commissioned as a member of the Steering Committee at the Health Sector Fund (MCT). He was a Director of Institutional Cooperation at CNPq till April 2013. Researcher 1A of CNPq.