Esper Georges Kallás
An infectious disease physician holding a master's and Ph.D. in Infectious Diseases from the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), full professor at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine (FMUSP), current director of Instituto Butantan (IB), and one of Brazil's leading references in virology and immunology. Dr. Esper Georges Kallás's career is marked by dedication to science and public health, with a focus on immunology and the development of immunobiologicals.
Born in Itajubá, Minas Gerais, Kallás comes from a family of Lebanese descent. A physician by training, he chose to specialize in infectious diseases, focusing on the study of the HIV virus and fighting the spread of AIDS in the 1990s. In addition to participating in pioneering research on the use of antiretroviral drugs, he developed research projects at Hospital do Servidor and Unifesp for the development of vaccines against HIV and HPV.
He joined FMUSP as a professor in 2010, becoming a full professor in 2019. At his new institution, he participated in implementing pioneering studies on HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which resulted in its adoption as a public health policy worldwide and in Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS). Since the creation of CeRDI in 2021, he has served as a principal investigator at the center, primarily dedicated to clinical trials of vaccines against other viruses, such as COVID-19, influenza, yellow fever, and dengue, as well as studies involving monoclonals and the basic immunology of these diseases.
Taking over the leadership of IB in 2023, Dr. Esper Kallás was recognized with the *Faz Diferença* award from the newspaper *O Globo* in the Science and Health category, and with the Oswaldo Cruz Medal from the Brazilian Government. With an administration marked by the launch of the dengue vaccine (Butantan-DV) and the Chikungunya vaccine (Butantan-Chik), both single-dose, his work remains especially dedicated to advancing health quality and access for the Brazilian population: “Having different platforms for product development is fundamental and strategic for the country,” he states.
