Norberto Cabral: A Pioneer in Stroke Research in Brazil Leaves a Huge Legacy for Latin America

Abstract

well as a researcher and clinical neurologist at the Hospital Municipal São José and Neurological Clinic in Joinville.As one of the most distinguished Brazilian stroke researchers, he started the JOINVASC in 2005, a population-based registry in the city of Joinville, one of the largest stroke databases in the world, providing information to plan the stroke assistance in his city, and also establishing important knowledge about stroke [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11].With his persistence, leadership and expertise, he put Joinville on the Brazilian and world map, showing the work of his group in the first stroke unit created in Brazil (1997) [1]. He always followed what he preached: "who has numbers has argument, who has information has power." Disagreeing with social injustices, he always defended those who had no voice to defend themselves, striving for better public health for all. His determination and his tireless work leave us a huge legacy of fundamental studies that supported stroke research and planning of stroke care in Brazil [1,[3][4][5][6][7][9][10][11][12][13], including the most important population-based study on stroke on a national level performed through the National Research Network of the Ministry of Health.With important models in his professional life, he was strongly influenced by Valery Feigin, Peter Sandercock and Joanna Wardlaw as well as his friends, researchers from Chile, Pablo Lavados and Claudio