Oscar Freire Institute
The Oscar Freire Institute is a research and teaching building located on the campus of the University of São Paulo's medical school. The three-story structure contains specialized laboratories for pathology, immunohematology and molecular research, along with lecture halls, offices and spaces dedicated to legal medicine and student training.
The institute was founded in 1918 when Professor Oscar Freire established the first legal medicine department. After operating from several locations, it moved to its permanent home in 1931 in a building designed by the renowned architect Ramos de Azevedo, where it has remained since.
The institute is named after Oscar Freire de Carvalho, a pioneering figure in Brazilian legal medicine who shaped how the field developed. Today it stands as a reminder of how medical science has evolved and continues to serve as a place where teaching and community care meet.
The institute is located on Rua Teodoro Sampaio in the Cerqueira César neighborhood on the university medical school campus. Because it functions as an active research and teaching facility, access may be limited, so it is best to contact ahead to ask about visiting options.
The building houses the oldest medical museum in Brazil on its second floor, displaying a collection of historical medical instruments and artifacts. This collection was founded by Oscar Freire in 1919 and includes donations from doctors throughout Brazil and around the world.
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