Neuroscientist and founder of the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), Miguel Nicolelis, is back as president of the institution's Board of Directors. He replaces, as of June 8, the current president Theodoro Paraschiva, who has held the position since 2022. The change was unanimously approved this Wednesday (20), during an ordinary meeting of the board held in hybrid format at the Institute's headquarters, in Macaíba (RN).

This will be Nicolelis' third term as president of the Council, a trajectory that began in 2014 when the ISD was qualified as a Social Organization by the Federal Government. At the end of his first two consecutive terms, in 2022, the neuroscientist was succeeded by Paraschiva, an executive and former director-general of the ISD who had been part of the board of directors since 2018.

The Board of Directors, the highest deliberative body of the ISD, is composed of representatives from the public sector, civil society organizations, members of the institution, and professionals with recognized expertise in their respective fields. The positions of board member and president are unpaid. The group meets periodically to deliberate on general strategic policy guidelines, proposed management contracts, budgets, action plans, and statutory amendments.

Acknowledgments and transition

During the meeting that formalized his return, Miguel Nicolelis expressed gratitude for Paraschiva's dedication over the past few years. “It is always a great emotion to be able to participate in ISD activities, now formally again. ISD has completed 10 years, but in reality the project has existed for 24 years. For me, it is a great honor to receive the mandate from the person who, with all their talent, devotion, and passion, was able to essentially build ISD,” stated the neuroscientist.

An engineer by training, Theodoro Paraschiva is leaving the Board of Directors after 12 years of dedication to ISD, having served as general director between 2014 and 2018. He was one of those responsible for consolidating the infrastructure of the current building of the Edmond and Lily International Institute of Neuroscience (IIN-ELS), located in an area of 12,000 m² in Macaíba. 

Upon leaving the general directorate, Theodoro went on to serve as an advisor and, for the last four years, as president of the board, reaching the maximum term limit on the Council. “I thank the entire ISD team for their trust and the results achieved in recent years. I have immense affection for this institution, of which I was a part for the last 12 years, and I will continue to follow its new achievements and the new challenges that will arise. May the future be promising and may the Institute continue to have great success in all its areas of activity,” Paraschiva emphasized.

In addition to Nicolelis' return, the Board of Directors approved the addition of three new members to the board: Liliane Pereira Braga, professor at the Multicampus School of Medical Sciences of UFRN, Caicó Campus; Carlos Alberto Malheiros, Executive Director of the PENSI Institute – Research and Teaching in Child Health; and Adriana Ragoni Jorge Ferreira, coordinator of the Laboratory of the "Walking Again" Project, of the Alberto Santos Dumont Association for Research Support (AASDAP).

Reappointment to the General Directorate

The same deliberative meeting marked the reappointment of obstetrician Reginaldo Freitas Jr. to the position of general director of ISD. Leading the directorate since 2018, his mandate was renewed for another four years, extending until 2030.

Reginaldo holds degrees in Medicine and Law from UFRN, with a master's and doctorate in Medical Sciences from the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto (USP). He specializes in Gynecology and Obstetrics, Fetal Medicine, and Education for Health Professions (UFC), and also has MBAs in Business Management (FGV) and Health Business Management (FDC). Currently, he is also an Associate Professor IV in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UFRN.

“This reappointment is not an individual merit, but recognition of the work of a team that, together with me, has been continuing an excellent project. I see ISD as a life experience that is well worth living. I am very honored to be part of this story,” declared the general director.

About ISD

The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) is a Social Organization of the Federal Executive Branch, supervised by the Ministry of Education, with the intervention of the Ministry of Sport. It encompasses the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience and the Anita Garibaldi Center for Education and Research in Health, both located in Macaíba. The ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research, and outreach activities, as well as contributing to a more just and humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.