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Home >> About IAG >> Governing Body >> Claudia Burla

Secretary General
Claudia Burlá, MD

Claudia Burlá graduated in Medicine in December of 1984, at age 23. In 1985, for the first time in Brazil, there was a public service entrance examination for civilian Geriatric Physicians, held by the Ministry of the Navy. Ranking 3 rd in the approval roll, she was assigned to work at the Marcílio Dias Navy Hospital, where she remained from 1985 to 2002. There, she developed and implemented a geriatric clinic. Her activities included medical care to elderly patients admitted to acute care units, medical care to patients admitted to the long-term ward, outpatient follow-up consultation after hospital discharge, joint consultation in surgical cases to identify patients at risk for delirium. One of her pioneer activities at the hospital was the establishment of a special clinic for old-old patients, and another one for neuropsychiatry disorders. In addition to medical care delivery, she developed a continuing education program in Geriatrics for resident physicians of related clinical specialties. In 1986 and 1987, she took a specialization course in Geriatrics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Porto Alegre, coordinated by Professor Yukio Moriguchi.

In 1997, Dra. Burlá went to Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Science Centre, where she had an intensive training period in Geriatrics, and Geriatric Psychiatry, under the mentoring of Professor Kenneth Shulman. Also in Canada she became involved with end-of-life care, and went further in the study of palliative care. Back to Brazil, she started to disseminate ideas on palliative care, by periodic courses that focus sensitization of health care professional for this modality of care. She was one of the international reviewers of the “End-of-life for seniors”, developed by the University of Toronto/Canada Ministry of Health.

From 1998 until 2000 she worked at the palliative care unit of the Brazilian National Cancer Institute. There, she established protocols for care, and was a consultant to the multiprofessional team. In addition, she organized the Institute’s first Palliative Care and Pain Meeting.

In 2002, Dr. Burlá went back to Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Science Centre, for a training period at the Palliative Care Clinic.

Dr. Burlá has always been an active member of the Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, having served in its executive board as General Secretary for the term 2002-2004; currently she is a member of the Advisory Board.

Dr. Burlá is an invited lecturer in the graduate courses (continuing education) in Geriatrics at the federal university Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazilian National School of Public Health Fiocruz, and Candido Mendes University. She is also an invited key-note speaker to numerous scientific events in Brazil.

Institutional Jobs/Positions

  • General Secretary, Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, 2002-2004
  • Advisory Board member, Brazilian of Geriatrics and Gerontology, 2004-2006
  • Chair, Palliative Care Committee, Brazilian of Geriatrics and Gerontology
  • Founding Member – Association of Relatives and Friends of Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Types of Dementia
  • Founding Member – Brazilian National Association of Gerontology
  • Founding Member – Association for Pain Management - Rio de Janeiro Chapter, and member of its Advisory Board
  • Founding Member – Brazilian National Academy for Palliative Care and member of its Advisory Board
  • Fellow: American Geriatrics Society
  • Fellow: International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care

Recent Publications

Co-Editor: Cunha UGV, Burlá C, Pinheiro, JES. Atlas of Geriatrics. Rio de Janeiro: Folium, BH, 2005,164p.

Burlá C. Dor. In: Liberman A, Freitas EV, Savioli F, Grarina C. (eds). Diagnóstico e tratamento em cardiologia geriátrica. São Paulo: Manole, 2005, p. 415-20.

Burlá C. Sinais e sintomas ao fim da vida. In: Guimarães RM, Cunha UGV (orgs). Sinais e sintomas em Geriatria. 2 ed. Rio de Janeiro: Atheneu, 2004, p. 291-97.

Burlá C. Sinais e sintomas inespecíficos. In: Guimarães RM, Cunha UGV. Sinais e sintomas em Geriatria. 2 ed. Rio de Janeiro: Atheneu, 2004, p. 61-5.

Burlá C. Envelhecimento e cuidados ao fim da vida. In: Py L et al. (orgs). Tempo de envelhecer: percursos e dimensões psicossociais . Rio de Janeiro: Nau, 2004, p. 375-99.

Burlá C. Lidando com a finitude e a morte. In: Caldas C, Saldanha A. (orgs). A saúde do idoso: a arte de cuidar. 2 ed. Rio de Janeiro: Interciência, 2004, p 368-76.

Burlá C. Paliação: cuidados ao fim da vida. In: Freitas EV et al. (orgs). Tratado de Geriatria e Gerontologia . Rio de Janeiro: Guanabara Koogan, 2002, p. 732-39.

Burlá C. Cuidados ao fim da vida: uma preocupação da prática da Medicina Geriátrica. Textos sobre Envelhecimento UnATI/UERJ: n.8, 2002, p. 21-28.

Burlá C, Py L. Decisões clínicas no final da vida. In: Liberman A, Freitas EV, Savioli F, Grarina C. (eds). Diagnóstico e tratamento em cardiologia geriátrica. São Paulo: Manole, 2005, p. 446-52.

Burlá C, Scharfstein EA, Pinheiro JES. E o humor, como vai? É depressão? In: Pacheco JL, Martins de Sá JL, PY L, Goldman SN. (orgs). Rio: tempo que arrebata. Holambra/SP: Setembro, 2005, p. 153-62.

Burlá C, Py L. Humanizando o final da vida em pacientes idosos: manejo clínico e terminalidade. In: Pessini L, Bertachini L. (orgs). Humanização e cuidados paliativos. São Paulo: Loyola, 2004, p. 125-34.