Previous Fora / 2013
VAL, Adalberto
Director, National Institute of Amazonian Research
Adalberto Val
is a researcher at The National Institute for Research in the Amazon SINCE 1982, studies respiration and adaptation of fish to Amazon environmental changes, both natural ones and those caused by men. He received his PhD degree in 1986. As visiting professor and post-doc fellow at the University of British Columbia, he lived in Canada between 1990 and 1993. His scientific contribution includes 80 plus scientific articles and 20 plus book chapters. He authored and organized several books, among them, the book "Fish of the Amazon and their environment" published by Springer Verlag. He is an active member of several scientific societies: Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science (SBPC), Brazilian Society of Physiology (SBFis), Canadian Society of Zoologists (CBZ), Brazilian Society of Genetics (SBG), American Fisheries Society (AFS), British Isles Fisheries Society (BIFS), The Society of Experimental Biology, and South American Society for Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry. Within these societies he has proposed and organized 13 meetings, 9 abroad. He has made 200 scientific communications and delivered near 70 talks worldwide, including South Africa, Germany, Australia, Canada, Scotland, Estonia, United States of America, Netherlands, India, England, Mexico and Argentina. In addition to this contribution, Dr. Val has acted as member of several national committees: Consulting Committee for Ecology and Limnology, CNPq (1999-2001), Consulting Committee for Graduate Programs in Biological Sciences I, CAPES, (2001-2003), Consulting Committee for Infrastructure and teaching conditions of Under graduation Programs in Biological Sciences in Brazil, Ministry of Education (2001), Administration Committee of Mamirauá Institute (since 2002), Consulting Committee for Post-graduation Affirmative Action of Ford Foundation (2001-2003), Member of the National Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Brazil, CONAPE (since 2004), Scientific and Technical Committee of CAPES (2005-2008), Research Committee of the Amazon (1990-1991), Ad hoc consultant for CNPq, CAPES, FINEP, FAPESP, FACEPE, FAPERGS, FAPEMAT, Ad hoc consultant for NSF (EUA), Ad hoc consultant for several National and International Journals, Organizing Committees for several National and International Meetings, and Member of the editorial board of several journals. He acted as supervisor of 50 undergraduate students in scientific initiation programs, 29 master and nine PhD students and interacted with several post-docs. He also acted as Regional Secretary and later as Counselor of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science, getting deeply involved with the organization of the State Science Foundations and all the movements of science in aid to world peace. He has been involved with discussions of the causes and consequences of the development disequilibrium of science and education in Brazil. He has been awarded with the Legion of Honour of the American Fisheries Society, Physiology Section, in 2000 in United Kingdom, the Knight of National Order of Scientific Merit in 2002, in Brasilia, and the Award of Excellence of the Physiology Section of the American Fisheries Society in 2004. Currently, in addition to the regular research activities at INPA, he is acting as head of the Committee for Biological Sciences I at CAPES Foundation.