Alberto Juan Dorta Contreras, a regrettable loss for Cuban science

August 21, 2021

Once again the covid-19 pandemic cloaks Cuban immunology in mourning with the death of Professor Alberto Juan Dorta Contreras on August 20. A man of science, most learned, he is an unavoidable reference in the development of neuroimmunology in Cuba, who also served as Secretary of the Cuban Society of Immunology from 2011 to 2019.

Connected to immunology since his time as a student in the Degree in Biochemistry program at the University of Havana, he was a fellow of the International Immunology Training and Research Centre (ITR) in Amsterdam in the late 1970s.
He worked in the Neuroimmunology Laboratory at the San Miguel del Padrón Pediatric Hospital from 1981 to 2000.
One of his most important professional projects was the creation, on April 14, 2004, of the Central Laboratory of Cerebrospinal Fluid (LABCEL), where he carried out active work studying antibody response patterns in CSF in various infections and other diseases, with the introduction to the country of the reibergram technique. He is credited with the first description in the world of patients with mannose binding protein deficiency (MBL), related to infection by Angioestrongilus cantonensis.

LABCEL has also been a unique model within the national health system due to its intense work training students and professionals through research and the Quincke scholarship program, for both nationals and foreigners. Dorta himself referred to this work as "an innovative pedagogical experience."

Doctor of Health Sciences, Full Professor and Researcher, he held the title of Extraordinary Professor of Neuroimmunology at the Catholic University San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), Spain. His published work is extensive and ranks fifth among authors residing in Cuba with the most entries in PubMed; his work has been cited over 2500 times according to Google Scholar.

He chaired the Chair of Scientific Communication at the University of Medical Sciences of Havana, from where he promoted bibliometric studies in medical sciences. He played an invaluable role in coordinating health topics included in the Cuban Encyclopedia 1000 Questions 1000 Answers.

His scientific versatility has as a particular milestone the research surrounding the space voyage of Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez.

He received numerous awards, including prizes from the Academy of Sciences of Cuba, Annual Health Award and Annual Immunology Award; in the latter case, he is the one who obtained it on the most occasions.

He published 211 articles in Cuban and international journals, another 79 articles in other formats and 13 books.

He achieved an H-index = 21 according to the Scopus database.

He participated in 225 national and international events in Cuba and abroad, of which 35 in the last 5 years.

He also participated as a panel member or opponent in more than 30 presentations of residency completion theses and 20 for doctors of science.

In recent years he served as director of the Cuban Journal of Biomedical Research, which he promoted to higher categories through his effort and work rigor, currently occupying the first place among Cuban journals according to the Scimago ranking.

He was deserving in his fruitful career of more than 50 awards and prizes, including:
National Hero of Labor, 1977.
Order of Merit "José A. Echeverría," 1978.
60th Anniversary of the October Revolution, 1977 (USSR).
For the Strengthening of Friendship (GDR).
Medal Builders of the Future on 8 occasions (1975, 78, 79, 80, 81, 84, 85, 86)
Distinction "Ismaelillo," 1992.
Founder ANIR, 1999.
Provincial Forum Prize for Science and Technology 1980, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010.
National Annual Health Prize 2005, 2007, 2010 (Central).
National Immunology Prize 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
Distinctions "Manuel Fajardo," 2002.
For Cuban Education, 2003.
José Tey, 2008.
Prize from the Academy of Sciences of Cuba, 2005.

Tireless, a doer, a mentor, Dorta, as everyone called him, is an example to follow and honor in Cuban immunology, science and intellectual life.