A group of professors from UFPel initiated the Pelotas Birth Cohorts in 1982. This was one of the largest longitudinal epidemiology studies globally. All births during 1982 were identified and followed up, totalling to 5,914 individuals. In 1983 the Cohort received funding from the WHO. Epidemiology research was still young in Brazil at the time due to lack of funding and expertise. However, the cohort sparked new interest as well as a demand for professionals to carry out the fieldwork. Consecutive cohort studies were carried out at 11 year intervals i.e. in 1993, 2004 and now in 2015.
In 1991, the Master in Epidemiology was created. The philosophy behind the Epidemiology program was to develop as a formal structure to pass on knowledge in epidemiology and train students to be able to contribute to the cohort. The first evaluation conducted by the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES) in 1995 resulted in top grading. In 1998, the program received a recommendation from CAPES to implement the Doctoral Course in Epidemiology. Thus, the Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology (PPGE) was created. In 2007, the Ministry of Health requested the Program to create of a Master of Professional Studies. This program was called Public Health Based on Evidences and was exclusively designed for public health professionals.
Cesar Gomes Victora
Fernando Barros
Luiz Augusto Facchini
Aluísio Jardim Dornellas de Barros
Ana Maria Baptista Menezes
Denise P. Gigante
Iná da Silva dos Santos
Pedro Curi Hallal
Bernardo Lessa Horta
Helen Denise Gonçalves da Silva
