[http://www.elsimarcoutinho.com.br/curriculo Biografia em sítio pessoal, pesquisado em 26 de julho de 2007, 16:09] .]Dr. Coutinho then left South America to attend a graduate course at the Sorbonne in Paris. There he met his wife Micheline Charlotte, a descendant of the aristocratic Barlatier de Mas and Peghoux family's. They had three children, Elsior Coutinho Neto, Tess Picq Coutinho Dorea and Charlotte P. Coutinho Lisboa, and six grand-children. [Brasil e Brasileiros de hoje: enciclopédia de biografiasby Afrânio Coutinho, 1961,Editorial Sul Americana]
Career
At the Sorbonne Coutinho studied with professor Claude Fromageot, which led to his interest in hormonal mechanisms, topic on which he became a specialist and still researches today. On his return from France he became an asscoiate professor of physiology at UFBA, but not for long as he was invited to be a fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation in the area of reproductive endocrinology, there he worked at the "Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research", which has become "Rockefeller University". Following giants of human reproductive research such as Professors A. Csapo and G. Corner (discoverers of progesterone) Coutinho began studying steroids with progestagenic effects, and in particular was able to identify the role of ions, calcium and magnesium as peripheral agents in the action of progesterone.After leaving New York, Coutinho became a director of clinical research of the Climério de Oliveira Maternity Clinic of the Federal University of Bahia. Under his directorship the center became the first Human Reproduction Research Center of the World Health Organization in Brazil.
In the early 1960´s Coutinho began studying the use of progestagenic substances in the prevention of premature births. In those studies he observed and described the contraceptive effect of medroxiprogesterone (MPA). These studies led to the discovery of the first injectable contraceptive: Ciclofem.
The discovery pushed Coutinho´s research into the limelight, making him one of the world authorities in endocrinology and family planning. During that period Coutinho made family planning his cause célebre, and began creating family planning programs in collaboration with a number of countries and insitutions, including that of China organized by the, then, University of Shanghai. Coutinho was the founder of the first large-scale free family planning center in Brazil. The center named CEPARH is open to the public and treats thousands of low income women per year at no charge.
After ciclofem, Coutinho was the pioneer of the studies that led to the discovery of the use of Depo-Provera, the first injectable contraceptive method with prolonged effects. [Under the Banyan Tree: A Population Scientist's Odyssey - Page 99, Sheldon J. Segal - 2003 ]
Coutinho also proposed the first contraceptive pill containing norgestrel, which is today the most used contraceptive pill method in the world. That discovery was followed by the first reduced dosage pill. Other discoveries by Coutinho include subcutaneous prolonged effect contraceptives (6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years and 6 years), two intra-uterine devices known as the Lorena Cross and the Caravaca Cross and Lovelle®, the vaginal pill.
Dr. Coutinho was also responsible for the discovery of treatments for women with infertility caused by endometriosis, topic on which he became a world expert, being the host and president of the 4th World Congress on Endometriosis. Coutinho published the first studies on the reduction of Miomas in 1982.
Coutinho was one of the founders of the "International Committee for Contraceptive Research" - ICCR, of the "Population Council", notorious for their work on iud´s medicated with copper and Norplant the subdermal hormonal implant with levonorgestrel.
He was also director of the human reproduction council of the "Steering Committee of the Task Force on Infertility of the Expanded Programme in Human Reproduction" of the World Health Organization.
Dr. Coutinho is a member of 32 medical societies. By the year 2000 he had participated as a guest lecturer in 253 congresses. He published 350 scientific studies, mostly in international medical journals such as Nature; Endocrinology, Fertility and Sterility; and The American Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Contraception. He´s published ten books. His book "Is Menstruation Obsolete?", co-authored with Dr. Sheldon Segal in 1996, is in its 8th edition. The English version of this book was published by Oxford University Press and has received praise from medical journals such as The Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the British Medical Association´s reviewer who called it a masterpiece.
Male Contraceptive Pill
Coutinho was responsible for the discovery of the contraceptive effects of gossipol, a substance extracted from cotton. This discovery led to studies into the first male non-hormonal contraceptive pill. [http://www.promulheronline.com.br/materias/11.htm]
Menstrual Suppression
Coutinho has studied menstrual suppression since the 1960's. Those studies culminated in the publishing of "Is Menstruation Obsolete", co-authored with Dr. Sheldon Segal.
The Biology of Jealousy
O Sexo do Ciúme [O Sexo do Ciúme, Editora Landscape] published in 2007, is a compilation of texts and studies which relate biology to human behaviour, along the lines of studies in human behavioural ecology. The author explains the natural factors which influence jealousy and male/female attitudes in regards to sex and relationships.
Awards
2000 Tomé de Sousa Medal
1994 Merit Medal of the State of Bahia
1993 Segal-Mastroianni Prize, World Academy of Art and Science.
1992 Nominated to the Nobel Council by the Legislature of the State of Bahia
1990 1st José Silveira Medal, Rotary Club
1990 Christopher Columbus Award, International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS).
1985 World Academy of Population and Health Sciences Award, World Academy of Population and Health Sciences.
1985 Axel Munthe Award. Finalista, Axel Munthe.
1979 Medal of Achievement from the "Fundação Bem Estar da Familia Brasileira" (Family Well-Being Foundation of Brazil)
1971 Upjohn Award, IFFS
References
External links
* [http://www.ceparh.com.br] CEPARH
* [http://www.elsimarcoutinho.com.br] Personal Site
