Jacinto Convit

Venezuelan physician and scientist

Born: September 11, 1913 · Died: May 12, 2014

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Who was Jacinto Convit?

Jacinto Convit García (11 September 1913 – 12 May 2014) was a Venezuelan physician and scientist, known for developing a vaccine to prevent leprosy and his studies to treat cancer. The son of Francesc Convit i Martí, a Spaniard from the region of Catalonia, Spain, who was a naturalized Venezuelan citizen, Jacinto Convit García was born in La Pastora, Libertador Municipality, Caracas in 1913. His mother was Flora García Marrero, a Venezuelan with Canarian roots. Convit began his studies in the Caracas School and continued in the Andrés Bello lyceum. Inspired by people with leprosy, he entered medical school at Central University of Venezuela (UCV) in 1932. He played a role in founding Venezuela's National Institute of Biomedicine and held many leprosy-related positions. He was a pupil of Rómulo Gallegos in philosophy and mathematics.

Historical significance

Among Convit's many honors for his work on leprosy and tropical diseases was Spain's Prince of Asturias Award in the Scientific and Technical Research category and France's Legion of Honor. In 1988, Convit was nominated for a Nobel Prize in Medicine for his experimental anti-leprosy vaccine.

Sources and further reading

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MLA

“Jacinto Convit.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/jacinto-convit/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

APA

Jacinto Convit. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/jacinto-convit/

Chicago

“Jacinto Convit.” thisDay. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/jacinto-convit/.

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