A (In)Visibilidade da participação das mulheres na história das ciências - um estudo biográfico: a trajetória de Dináh Brazil (1895-1975) no Instituto Vital Brazil

Abstract

This work presents an unprecedented contribution to the History of Science, focusing on the (in)visibility of women within scientific institutions. Its centralsubject is the narrative of Dináh Brazil’s (née Dináh Carneiro Vianna, 1895–1975) trajectory at the Instituto VitalBrazil(IVB) in Niterói, RJ. Although she was not a scientist in the conventional sense — i.e., someone who produces knowledge through the scientific method — it is known that Dináh played an active role in the founding and development of one of Brazil’s foremost institutions for biomedical research and anti-venom serum production: the IVB. This biographical study seeks to analyze the significance of Dináh Brazil’s professional path for the IVB and for the broader process of science institutionalization in Brazil, particularly within the context of women’s participation in scientific institutions. The research was motivated by a historiographical gap at the IVB, where Dináh worked for most of her adult life (1920–1957), yet where records of her professional activities are sparse. Her presence has largely been reduced to that of Vital Brazil’s second wife, mother of nine of his children, and president of the institute. The aim of this study is to recover Dináh’s story and construct a more equitable narrative of her contributions to the development of one of Brazil’s leading public health institutions. Her involvement was especially decisive during the nationalization of the IVB, when she played a crucial role in preserving its founding ideals of research, production, and education. The study also explores the historical context of Brazil’s urbanization and industrialization, processes that contributed to frequent outbreaks and epidemics. These health crises prompted the need for the establishment of scientific and biomedical research institutions to respond with technological and scientific advancements. A qualitative approach grounded in the History of Science was adopted, emphasizing historical, social, and cultural phenomena through the analysis of gender relations and women’s participation in science. Methodologically, the research employed triangulation, incorporating bibliographic review, online and field research, and documentary analysis. Primary and secondary sources were drawn from 19 archives, including 12 institutional brick-and-mortar collections, three personal collections, and four digital collections. The thesis is structured into two chapters: 1) Dináh Carneiro Vianna (1895–1975); 2) Dináh Brazil and the Instituto Vital Brazil: Where Paths Cross. Born on June 22, 1895, in Santos (São Paulo), Dináh spent her youth in Paranaguá (Paraná), began her adult life in Curitiba (Paraná), where she studied at the Escola Normal do Paraná (1914–1917) and later at the Pharmacy Program of the Universidade do Paraná (1919). She later moved to Niterói (Rio de Janeiro) to contribute to the organization of the IVB, where she remained for 37 years, holding various positions and responsibilities. Throughout her adult life, the influence of the Instituto Neo-Pitagórico (Paraná) and its founder, Dario Vellozo (1869- 1937), is evident in the decisions that shaped her path. The research also revealed that Dináh's marriage to the renowned scientist VitalBrazil Mineiro da Campanha (1865–1950), and her domestic role in managing a large family, did not prevent her from actively contributing to the IVB’s development. She was one of the first collaborators but also the first woman to serve as its president, holding the position for five years. Her contributions reinforce the argument that she played an essentialrole in the advancement and institutionalization ofscience in Brazil— an influence that endures to this day. This study argues that it is both possible and necessary to reshape historical narratives through a gendered lens. As evidenced by her career, Dináh Brazil was not merely Vital Brazil’s wife and assistant; her professional trajectory, although interwoven with that of the scientist and the institution, developed independently. Notably, during the administrative and financial crisis of the IVB (1949–1954), in a broader social context where women were marginalized, she emerged as the key figure responsible for safeguarding Vital Brazil’s legacy. In the post-war period, with restrictions on exporting products and importing necessary equipment and supplies, the IVB’s crisis deepened. This was compounded by the rise of multinational pharmaceutical companies introducing highly competitive products, which undermined the viability of national laboratories. Although Dináh was not entirely erased — her name does appear on the official list of IVB presidents — her professional journey has been largely omitted from institutional history, relegating her to a secondary and isolated role.