OBITUARY

José Eulálio Cabral Filho

(28/03/1937 † 05/01/2026)

On January 5, 2026, the Brazilian academic community bid farewell to José Eulálio Cabral Filho, a rare intellectual, an exceptional professor, and a formative presence in the recent history of postgraduate education in health in Brazil. His trajectory was distinguished by an uncommon convergence of rigorous science, deep philosophical reflection, and a humanity evident in everyday interactions.

He graduated in Medicine from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) in 1966, earned a degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP) in 1970, completed a Master’s degree in Sciences at the University of São Paulo (USP) in 1973, and obtained a PhD in Pharmacology from the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in 1987. He later undertook postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the United States. This plural academic background provided the foundation for a solid, multifaceted, and intellectually coherent career.

At the Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP), he served as Full Professor, permanent faculty member, and Vice-Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Comprehensive Health, at both the master’s and doctoral (stricto sensu) levels. He played a central role in structuring the program and was responsible for core courses such as Epistemology and Philosophy of the Health Sciences, which left a lasting mark on generations of students through their conceptual density and intellectual rigor.

He also worked as a consultant, advisor, and member of several scientific committees, particularly at the Pernambuco State Foundation for the Support of Science and Technology (FACEPE) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). In these roles, he became a reference in articulating scientific methodology with philosophical foundations, leaving a lasting imprint on project evaluation processes and on the education of faculty members, master’s and doctoral students.

His contribution to the Federal University of Pernambuco deserves special mention. As an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Center for Health Sciences, he developed research and teaching activities in the fields of biostatistics, physiology, nutrition, the nervous system, and nutrition and behavior, expanding dialogue across traditionally compartmentalized areas of knowledge.

Throughout his intellectual journey, he maintained close scholarly dialogue with Professor Aluízio Bezerra Coutinho, a distinguished physician, professor, and scientist from Pernambuco. He dedicated himself to organizing, systematizing, and republishing Coutinho’s writings, contributing decisively to preserving and projecting his work within the national scientific landscape. In this context, the book The Nature of Life stands out,¹ reaffirming the dialogue between biology, philosophy, and scientific humanism—an axis that consistently permeated José Eulálio’s own intellectual production.

As a researcher, he coordinated relevant programs, notably investigations into motor activity and development in preterm children assisted by the Kangaroo Mother Care Method, always attentive to the interface between biology, human development, and social context. His scientific output and his work as a supervisor shaped generations of researchers, many of whom now hold leadership positions in academia.

In the editorial field, his contribution was decisive. From 2001 to 2022, at the Brazilian Journal of Mother and Child Health, initially as Executive Editor and later as Editor-in-Chief, he guided the journal’s consolidation within the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) database, strengthening standards of methodological quality, editorial ethics, and scientific consistency. His work was fundamental to the journal’s institutional maturation and to the strengthening of maternal and child health research in Brazil. Under his influence, the IMIP Graduate Program in Comprehensive Health achieved a level of excellence, culminating in a score of 6 from the Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES).

Throughout his career, he published more than 70 scientific articles in national and international journals, edited books, authored several book chapters, served on numerous master’s and doctoral examination committees, and supervised students at different stages of academic training—from undergraduate research to doctoral studies—contributing decisively to Brazilian research and to the training of highly qualified human resources.

Yet José Eulálio’s intellectual stature was not defined solely by titles or positions. As might be expected of a professor endowed with so many virtues, he was also profoundly human in his imperfections, discreet in his gestures, and averse to any form of academic vanity. A generous colleague of simple and cordial demeanor, a philosophy professor marked by attentive listening and precise interventions, and an empathetic, ever-available supervisor, he was recognized for a rare combination of gentleness, slight shyness, and intellectual sharpness. His remarks—often brief and seemingly unassuming—emerged in conversations that came to be known as the “philosophical coffee,” gatherings which, according to him, should be savored with good chocolate. In those moments, he was able to displace certainties, suspend easy answers, and restore questions to the center of debate. He taught without dogmatism, challenged without harshness, and guided with profound respect for the intellectual autonomy of students and colleagues, offering not only content but an ethical way of thinking, dialoguing, and inhabiting academic life.

In family life, José Eulálio was a deeply present and devoted grandfather, father, and husband, exercising these roles with the same care, discretion, and ethical sense that marked his academic life. To his family, he was a reference of serene affection, attentive listening, and generous coexistence, leaving a legacy of values that transcends intellectual work. His memories will remain cherished with gratitude in the hearts of his loved ones, as the expression of a life lived with integrity, coherence, and humanity.

With his passing, a legacy remains that goes beyond academic production: the conviction that science and philosophy are not opposing fields but complementary dimensions of a single human endeavor to understand the world and to act responsibly; simplicity in relationships with peers and students; and affection for family and friends. His ideas, his ethics of thought, and his formative presence endure—inscribed in the history of IMIP, of the Brazilian Journal of Mother and Child Health, and in the living memory of all who had the privilege of knowing him.
 


References

1. Coutinho AB (Org.); Cabral-Filho JE (Org.). Da Natureza da Vida. 2ª. ed. Recife: Gráfica e Editora Liceu; 2016. 128p.