Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública Holds inaugural lecture and welcomes new master's and doctoral students of 2026.

"Today, we are here together with this wonderful feeling that something new is going to happen. It's a feeling of curiosity, of an enormous desire to discover what's to come, and at the same time, of fear, of anxiety about what it will be like, who the people I'm going to meet are, the friends I'm going to see again. No matter our age, this feeling is present in each of you at this magical moment, and together, we will face our fears and anxieties." With these words, the rector of... BahianaDr. Maria Luisa Soliani welcomed the new students of the institution's Master's and Doctoral programs, who participated in the inaugural class held on the morning of Friday, February 27th, at the Cabula Campus. The opening ceremony included the rector, along with the Pro-Rector of Research, Innovation and Graduate Studies, Dr. Atson Fernandes, the director of Fapesb, Handerson Leite, and the coordinators of the Medicine and Human Health program, Dr. Ana Marice Ladeia, the Health Technologies program, Dr. Marcos Almeida, and the Psychology and Health Interventions program, Dr. Mônica Daltro, as well as the manager of Graduate Studies, Dr. Cristiane Dias.

The program began with a theatrical presentation, performed by the dancer Daniela Augusto, which led participants to reflect on their academic journey in postgraduate studies. In turn, Professor Dr. Atson Fernandes presented the achievements of the programs that began the year 2026 with an increase in their grades. CAPES "As we improve the training of our graduate students, we have an impact, not only scientific but also social, in the various environments where our graduates are located. Whether in the training of our students or through their work, especially in strategic sectors," declared the pro-rector. Since their founding, the Stricto Sensu programs of Bahiana They have already awarded degrees to 583 masters and 220 doctoral students, including 22 masters and 95 doctoral graduates who are faculty members of the institution.

The highlight of the program was the conference "Mental Health, Inequalities and Humanitarian Crises: challenges for science and health education," given by the psychologist specializing in disasters, Dr. Débora Noal. In her speech, in addition to presenting her professional and academic trajectory, the guest speaker posed a challenge to the academics: "I came here to ask for your help in using science to assist us in disaster management." The program concluded with the roundtable discussion "From Research to Recognition: Trajectories of our Graduates," moderated by Professor Cristiane Dias, which brought together the winners of the Best Dissertation and Best Thesis Awards – 2025 edition, in a moment marked by the exchange of academic and professional experiences. The meeting was attended by award-winning researchers Ms. Juliana Dorea Pereira de Bulhões, Ms. Juliana Guimarães Santos, Ms. Lua Maria Bacellar Cal, and Dr. Verena Souza Souto, who shared reflections on the paths they have taken from scientific research to academic recognition. The activity fostered a dialogue about the challenges, achievements, and impacts of the graduates' trajectories on knowledge production, highlighting the relevance of postgraduate studies in training researchers committed to science and social transformation.