Albert Einstein World Award of Science 1984
Field of Research: Nutrition
Date: 29 November 1984
Place of Ceremony: Auditorio San Pedro
Host Institution: World Cultural Council
Host Country: Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
The World Cultural Council’s Albert Einstein World Award of Science was delivered for the first time at the San Pedro Auditorium in Monterrey, Mexico, in 1984. It was granted to Dr Ricardo Bressani, a Guatemalan research scientist at the Instituto de Nutrición de Centro America y Panama (Central American and Panamanian Nutrition Institute) for his contributions to improving human nutrition and increasing agricultural production in Latin America.
Born to Italian immigrants to Guatemala, he obtained his Master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Iowa in 1951. He went on to earn his doctoral degree in Food Sciences from Purdue University in Indiana in 1956.
Dr Bressani has devoted much of his research career to improving the quality of the staple foods of people of Mayan heritage. He has ensured the delivery of accurate, up-to-date information on food composition to the Food and Agriculture Organization. He has also advised dozens of undergraduate and graduate students in Guatemala and abroad.
Ricardo’s contributions and support to the local food industry and government have been fundamental to Guatemala’s efforts to eradicate malnutrition in the country.
