History and Context of the Graduate Program in Morphofunctional Sciences (PCMF)
History and Context of the Graduate Program in Morphofunctional Sciences (PCMF)
The Graduate Program in Morphofunctional Sciences (PCMF) at the Federal University of Ceará (UFC), offering Master’s and PhD degrees, was approved by CAPES (Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education) on December 10, 2013. Its creation is closely tied to the history and development of research at the UFC’s School of Medicine. In the 1990s, the shortage of graduate programs in Morphology in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil led many faculty members of the PCMF to seek training in other fields, particularly the Graduate Program in Pharmacology at UFC, which was already highly rated with a CAPES score of 6.
Professor Gerly Brito, after completing her PhD in 1997, began supervising students in the Pharmacology graduate program in 1998 and later in the Medical Sciences program in 2005. At that time, the faculty lacked the critical mass necessary to launch a graduate program in Morphology. However, interdisciplinary collaborations with other programs, such as Medical Sciences, Surgery, and Dentistry at UFC, and Physiology at the State University of Ceará (UECE), fostered a solid academic network. This multidisciplinary effort greatly benefited from the unique perspectives of morphologists.
In 2004, after completing his postdoctoral research at the University of Virginia, Professor Reinaldo Oriá joined forces with Professor Gerly Brito to establish the Nucleus for Microscopy and Image Processing Studies (NEMPI), a CNPq (Brazilian National Research Council) research directory. NEMPI played a critical role in developing morphological research and building the infrastructure required for the future PCMF proposal.
Over the years, new faculty members joined the Department of Morphology, strengthening research lines and expanding the program’s capabilities. Professor Renata F. C. Leitão contributed with her expertise in Osteoarticular Morphophysiology and oral cavity studies, while Professor Paula Goes, who joined in 2014, brought knowledge in Osteoimmunology and inflammatory bone resorption. Additionally, Professor Mariana Lima Vale expanded this line by focusing on experimental models of arthritis.
In the area of reproduction, Professor Ana Paula Ribeiro Rodrigues (UECE) was invited to collaborate, focusing on the isolation and cultivation of caprine pre-antral follicles, further enriching the Cellular and Tissue Biology concentration. In Neuroscience, Professor Glauce Viana, a co-founder of the UFC’s renowned Pharmacology Graduate Program, contributed alongside Professor Francisca Clea Florenço de Sousa, Professor Reinaldo Oriá, and neurologist Francisco de Assis Gondim. This group focused on translational and applied morphofunctional studies.
Another key component of the program involves **teaching and promoting morphological sciences**. Professors Ariel Scafuri, Gilberto Cerqueira, and Virginia Girão have led efforts to enhance undergraduate education and promote morphological studies at public high schools. These outreach activities include projects such as the DINTER UFC/UFRJ initiative, which offers courses for both students and teachers.
In recent years, the PCMF has continued to grow, welcoming new faculty members, including Professor Karuza Alves, who specializes in Osteoarticular Morphophysiology, and Professors Ricardo Lima and Thyago Queiroz, who have initiated research in Cardiovascular Morphophysiology. Professor José Garcia Abreu Junior has further strengthened the program’s research on vertebrate embryology.
The program benefits from cutting-edge infrastructure provided by NEMPI, which offers multi-user equipment such as **confocal, electron, and epifluorescence microscopes**. These resources enable detailed analysis of biological phenomena at the ultrastructural and microstructural levels, facilitating real-time observation of cellular interactions. This advanced technology contributes to a deeper understanding of cellular and tissue biology and the pathophysiology of various diseases, while also supporting studies on potential therapeutic compounds.
