Maria da Graça Andrada

Maria da Graça Andrada (born 1932) is a Portuguese doctor who specialised in pediatrics, particularly cerebral palsy, and in physical rehabilitation. She has been president of the Portuguese Cerebral Palsy Association and was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry, as well as being the recipient of other major awards.

Training

Maria da Graça da Veiga Ventura de Campos Andrada was born in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon on 15 January 1932. She studied at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, obtaining a PhD in pediatrics. She also did specialized training in child rehabilitation at the New York University School of Medicine between 1959 and 1961.

Career

After completing her education, Andrada became a specialist in pediatrics at the Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon. She was appointed clinical director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Cerebral Palsy Rehabilitation Centre (CRPCCG) in Lisbon, a position she held between 1961 and 2002. From 1966 to 1989, she was also founder and director of the pediatric rehabilitation and development service of the Alcoitão Rehabilitation Medicine Centre in the Cascais municipality, to the west of Lisbon.

Awards and honours

Andrada has received a number of high-level awards that reflect her contribution to the understanding and treatment of cerebral palsy:

2006. Andrada was awarded the 2005 Homage Prize from the Portuguese Society for Multiple Sclerosis.

2006. The minister of health awarded her a Gold Medal for Distinguished Services.

2006. She received the Medal of Merit from the Ordem dos Médicos, the body responsible for regulating and licensing medical practitioners in Portugal.