As we reach the midpoint of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15), we pause to recognize the extraordinary contributions of microbiologists from Hispanic countries whose groundbreaking work has shaped modern science. These pioneers have not only advanced our understanding of infectious diseases and public health, but have also laid the foundation for future innovations in medicine, biotechnology, and environmental science. From combating epidemics to founding institutions and developing life-saving vaccines, these microbiologists exemplify the rich scientific heritage of their countries, and their legacies continue to inspire new generations of researchers.
Before we begin our introduction to Hispanic microbiologists, we urge you to download the PDF linked at the end of this post. The digital version will also have links to online resources for each scientist.
MEXICO
- Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Stewart (1905–1976) was a Mexican-American researcher who pioneered viral oncology, the study of cancer-causing viruses, co-discovering the SE (Stewart-Eddy) polyomavirus in the 1950s.
- Dr. Alfonso Herrera (1868–1942) was a prominent Mexican biologist who made significant contributions to botany, zoology, and pharmacology. He led the country's largest biological research center and published extensively on biological adaptation and the origin of life.
GUATEMALA
- Dr. Rodolfo Robles (1878-1939) was a Guatemalan physician and the first to identify and describe onchocerciasis, the cause of river blindness, in Latin America.
EL SALVADOR
- Dr. María Isabel Rodríguez (1922-) is a pioneering physician, educator, and advocate for health and women's rights in El Salvador. She became the first female rector of the University of El Salvador, served as the country’s Minister of Health, and has been recognized as a Public Health Heroine of the Americas by PAHO/WHO.
- Dr. Concepción Lemus de Béndix (1922-2015) A scientific researcher in microbiology, parasitology, and single-cell protein, she created antibiotics and refined yeasts to make food supplements to fight malnourishment. She received numerous awards including a Nobel Prize nomination and recognition by the World Health Organization.
NICARAGUA
- Dr. Clodomiro Picado Twight (1877-1944), also known as "Clorito Picado," was a renowned Costa Rican scientist, internationally celebrated for his groundbreaking research on snake venom and his development of several antivenoms.
COSTA RICA
- Dr. Karl Schosinsky Nevermann (1942-) was just one year old when his family escaped the Nazi regime and settled in Costa Rica, where he would return after receiving his doctorate in the United States and laid the foundation for the links between Heliobacter pylori and gastric cancer.
PANAMA
- Dr. Mireya Correa (1940-2022) is responsible for the extensive identification, categorization and digital storage of Panama's rich botanical specimens as a professor at the University of Panama and as an investigator with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
COLOMBIA
- Dr. Manuel Elkin Patarroyo (1946-, a Colombian Professor of Pathology and Immunology, made the world's first attempt to create a synthetic vaccine against the protozoal parasite Plasmodium falciparum, a protozoal parasite.
- Dr. Antonio Vargas Reyes (1816-1873) focused his work on the prevention and treatment of cholera, but also founded the first Colombian scientific journal and medical school.
ECUADOR
- Dr. Eugenio Espejo (1747-1795) was a bacteriologist before we knew about bacteria - he worked to prove that the air carried something that led to disease and infection, and made the connection to the cause of fermentation.
PERU
- Daniel Alcides Carrión (1857-1885) never become a doctor: As a medical student, he infected himself with a tissue sample taken from a patient suffering from Oroya fever to demonstrate the link between the disease and the skin disease verruga peruana, and succumbed to the disease.
CHILE
- Dr. Juan Noé (1877-1947) focused his work on eradicating malaria, but he is recognized for his introduction and support of advanced biological research at the University of Chile, where he served as the chair of General Biology, Embryology-Comparative Anatomy and Parasitology.
- Dr. Vicente Izquierdo Sanfuentes (1850-1926) studied in Germany but returned to his home country to serve as a surgeon and advocate for vaccination and as a professor of Histology and Entomology.
- Dr. Francisco Puelma Tupper (1850-1933) also studied in Europe and returned to Chile as a practicing surgeon, but used political activity to further his goals for health and vaccination in his country.
BELIZE
- Dr. Robert K. Trench (1940-2021) was biologist who advanced the study of animal-dinoflagellate mutualisms and how the symbiotic relationship is far more equal than previously believed.
CUBA
- Dr. Carlos J. Finlay (1833-1915) was an epidemiologist who played a significant role in demonstrating that yellow fever was transmitted by the mosquito.
- Dr. Aristides Agramonte i Simoni (1868-1931) was a bacteriologist whose work advanced the treatment of yellow fever, plague, dengue, trachoma, malaria, and other infectious diseases.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
- Dr. Andrea Evangelina Rodríguez Perozo (1879-1947) was the first female doctor from her country, where she worked to bring attention to the health care of women, children, and those suffering from infectious disease.
PUERTO RICO
- Dr. Isaac González Martinez (1871-1954) was not only his country's first urologist, he also made advances in the study of parasitology, infectious disease, and sanitation.
- Dr. Antonia Coello Novello (1944-) is a pediagric nephrologist who rose to become the 14th US Surgeon General, where one of her issues was child vaccination and women's healthcare.
- Helen Rodríguez Trías (1929-2001) was a physician who focused on public health, including abolishing enforced sterlization and supporting women's health services, including abortion rights.
HONDURAS
- Dr. Jesús Aguilar Paz (1895-1974) was a chemist and pharmacist - as well as a folklorist and cartographer. These interests made him an excellent advocate for public health.
VENEZUELA
- Dr. Louis D. Beauperthuy (1807-1871) brought the idea that mosquitos spread yellow fever and malaria to Europe, where he had to work to explain and defend the idea before it was accepted.
- Dr. Jacinto Convit (1913-2014) developed a leprosy vaccine, for which he was nominated for a Nobel Prize, and founded Venezuela's National Institute of Biomedicine.
- Dr. Baruj Benacerraf (1920-2011) received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovery of the major histocompatibility complex, a fundamental mechanism of the immune system.
BOLIVIA
- Dr. Nestor Morales Villazón (1879-1957) was the Director of the National Institute of Bacteriology after a career in medicine. His dedication to microbiology led him to found the Revista de Bacteriologia e Higiene.
PARAGUAY
- Dr. Andrés Barbero (1877-1951) was a botanist who also established his country's first Red Cross, Cancer Institute, and Scientific Society.
URUGUAY
- Dr. José de Archavaleta (1838-1912) founded his country's Bacteriology Laboratory which would then become the Institute of Public Health.
ARGENTINA
- Dr. César Milstein (1927-2002) was a biochemist who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his development of the hybridoma technique for the production of monoclonal antibodies, laboratory-made proteins that enable the diagnosis of many diseases and cancers.
- Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán (1862-1941) was an early evangelist for the germ theory of disease, advocating for immunization and hygiene as a part of public health.
SPAIN
- Dr. Francisco Xavier de Balmis (1753-1819) took to the seas as the leader of the first global campaign against smallpox, taking the vaccine to all the Spanish colonies and educating local doctors.
- Dr. Jaime Ferrán i Cluo (1851-1929) is said to have administered over 50,000 cholera vaccines, but his work in the field of epidemiology led to the vaccination of millions more, and not just to cholera.
- Dr. Severo Ochoa (1905-1993) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his co-discovery of proteins that bond DNA and RNA, research based on bacteriology.
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
- Bioko Island Malaria Elimination Project works to eradiate malaria and educate about vaccinations. Until our research uncovers a physician to take its place, this organization will represent this country.
This survey of important Hispanic scientists emphasizes those who have impacted history, but we should note that each country has many, many contemporary scientists who are making incredible advances today. They are all sure to take their place amongst these heroes one day! In the meantime, if we left anyone out that you feel should be in our list, share the name and information in the comments below!