IMMUNOLOGY IN BRAZIL: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS

The Brazilian research community has recently emerged as a scientific power. Brazil’s intellectual production has significantly increased in recent years, mostly due to the growing number of young scientists in the country. Approximately 10,000 individuals are conferred the PhD degree in Brazil annually, with corresponding publications of a significant number of research papers. Brazil’s contribution to scientific publications constitutes approximately 3% of the overall global scientific publications, indicating its potential as a “scientifically emerging” country, along with enhanced visibility and acceptance by its global counterpart. The Southern/South geographic regions of Brazil lead these numbers, with institutions located in these regions attracting numerous scientists worldwide. These encouraging numbers are partially due to the commitment of the new generation of Brazilian scientists, a great number of whom are engaged in immunology-related research. In this context, this Special Issue brings to light a few works by this new generation of Brazilian researchers in the field of immunology and include pivotal themes such as new drugs for treating neglected tropical parasites and cancer-related immune signaling issues. Brazilian young talents are now faced with the challenge of consolidating the technical and knowledge-related advances in Brazil, and the opportunity to contribute significantly using cutting-edge immunology in the future.