A few days ago, newspaper Público described 2016 as the year of unlikely successes. The news mentions an unusual “goal during extra time”, much to our joy, refers to “contraptions” and to “political stability”, to the election of António Guterres as Secretary General of the UN, to finish with the question: “Is this the year when self-esteem came back?”

In fact, whether in the professional sphere or in the most personal aspects, trust, in ourselves, in others, in institutions, seems to be a preponderant factor in our lives. Also in the 63rd edition of our Newsletter, the last of 2016, we find reasons to trust. We begin by highlighting the Forbes Norris Award granted to Professor Mamede de Carvalho, Director of the Institute of Physiology of the FMUL. This Award, which the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations and the Forbes Norris MDA/ALS Research & Treatment Center sponsor annually, aims to distinguish a Neurologist dedicated to the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

We also highlight the emergence of a New Magazine of the University of Lisbon, of a global and agglutinating nature. It was launched on 7 December at the Kaleidoscope of the University of Lisbon. The Rector of the University, Professor António Cruz Serra, said that the magazine “will report on the initiatives of the Schools that form it and on the scientific and cultural activity that brings them together.”

On 23 November, Professor Óscar Dias received the 2016 Professor Gomes-Pedro Pedagogical Merit Award, which is intended to reward the lecturer, or group of lecturers acting as a pedagogical team in a given project, who stood out the most during the previous academic year for his/her contribution to the improvement of Medical Education in the FMUL.

FMUL is the promoter of the Healthy Employment Project, coordinated by Professor Maria João Heitor. We interviewed the Professor about this project and, in addition to other issues, talked about how unemployment affects the different layers of the population, especially women.

On 8 November, as part of the celebration of the European Day of Healthy Food and Cooking, the Faculty of Helping, with the support of the Nutrition Laboratory, carried out two activities with the FMUL population.

Last week, from 5 to 13 December, an exhibition about the greatest humanitarian and migratory crisis that has been known since the Second World War, the Refugee Crisis started in 2015, was held on floor 01 of the main entrance of the FMUL.

The Students’ Association presented this exhibition so that all who passed through the entrance hall of their School could see this reality closely, which, directly or indirectly, concerns not only future doctors but all citizens in the world. The goal was for everyone to observe, question, feel, and engage.

The Editorial Team wishes you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

André Rodrigues
Editorial Team
news@medicina.ulisboa.pt