Ruy Pérez Tamayo (8 November 1924 – 26 January 2022) was a Mexican medical pathologist, immunologist, researcher, science communicator and academic.

Life and career

Born in

Tampico Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...

, Pérez Tamayo graduated in

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

and specialised in

pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...

at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and then got a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

immunology Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see the ...

from the

Instituto Politécnico Nacional The National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico ( es, Instituto Politécnico Nacional de México; ), abbreviated IPN, is one of the largest public universities in Mexico with 171,581 students at the high school, undergraduate and postgraduate level ...

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

. He was the founder and director of the pathology unit at the

General Hospital of Mexico The General Hospital of Mexico (Hospital General de México, HGM) is a hospital in Mexico City, operated by the Secretariat of Health, the federal government department in charge of all social health services in Mexico. History Towards the end o ...

, and the director of the Department of

Pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...

at the National Institute of Nutrition for ten years. He was professor in his alma mater for 58 years, and was visiting professor in a large number of prestigious universities all over the world, including

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, and

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

. He was the author of over 150 scientific articles and over 60 books, and had an important role in popularizing science to the Mexican general public. During his life Pérez Tamayo was the recipient of several awards and accolades, including the

National Prize for Arts and Sciences The National Prize for Arts and Sciences ( es, Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes) is awarded annually by the Government of Mexico in six categories. It is part of the Mexican Honours System and was established in 1945. The prize is a gold medal ...

, the Juchimán de Plata Award and the

Menéndez Pelayo International Prize The Menéndez Pelayo International Prize has been awarded since 1987 by the Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP) with the objective of honoring those persons whose literary or scientific work has a humanistic orientation and application, ...

. He was also a member of the Academia Mexicana de la Lengua since 1986, as well as of El Colegio Nacional and of the Advisory Council of Sciences of the Presidency of the Republic. He died in Ensenada, Baja California on 26 January 2022, at the age of 97.

References

External links

Ruy Pérez Tamayo
at

Universidad Veracruzana Universidad Veracruzana (Spanish for ''University of Veracruz'') is a public autonomous university located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Established in 1944, the university is one of the most important in the southeast region of México. Its ...

Ruy Pérez Tamayo
at El Colegio Nacional {{DEFAULTSORT:Perez Tamayo, Ruy 1924 births 2022 deaths Mexican pathologists Mexican immunologists People from Tampico, Tamaulipas Mexican scientists National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni Academic staff of the National Autonomous University of Mexico Instituto Politécnico Nacional alumni