Born: 1899 (Lisbon, Portugal)
Died: 1986 (Lisbon, Portugal)
Biography:
Branca Edmée Marques de Sousa Torres was a prominent Portuguese specialist in the peaceful applications of nuclear technology. She was born on April 14, 1899, in Lisbon and passed away on July 19, 1986, in the same city. Branca obtained her doctorate in Paris under the guidance of the renowned scientist Marie Curie. Later, she returned to Lisbon and founded the Radiochemistry Laboratory, where she conducted groundbreaking research for over three decades.
Branca faced an early tragedy in her life when her father passed away when she was just eight years old. Despite this loss, she displayed a remarkable aptitude for academics and went on to join the University of Lisbon after completing her high school education. Branca graduated with degrees in Physics and Chemistry from the Faculty of Sciences. She stood out as the only woman at the faculty engaged in teaching or research in chemistry during that time.
In 1926, Branca married António Silva Sousa Torres, a professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. However, she agreed to the marriage on the condition that she could pursue her studies in Paris for a Doctorate. With a desire to specialize in radioactivity, she applied for and received a grant from the National Education Board to study at the Radium Institute in Paris in 1931-32.
During her time in Paris, Branca initially worked under the guidance of Marie Curie, but after Curie’s unfortunate death, she continued her research under the supervision of André-Louis Debierne. Her meticulous notes from the classes given by Curie and Debierne later became part of her valuable scientific estate. In 1935, Branca successfully defended her doctoral thesis titled Nouvelles recherches sur le fractionnement des sels de baryum radifère (New research on the fragmentation of radiferous barium salts) at Sorbonne University. Her Doctorate was awarded with three honourable mentions, the highest grade possible, with the support of two Nobel Prize winners, Jean Baptiste Perrin and Frédéric Joliot-Curie.
Following her remarkable academic achievements, Branca was offered the opportunity to continue her research career in Paris. However, she made the decision to return to Lisbon and resume her work at the Faculty of Sciences. In 1936, she founded the Radiochemistry Laboratory, which eventually led to the establishment of the Centre for Radiochemistry Studies of the Nuclear Energy Studies Commission in 1953.
Branca Edmée Marques made numerous contributions to the field of radioactivity throughout her career. She published her research results in various scientific journals, including three articles in the Journal de Chimie Physique in 1936 and six articles in the Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences of Paris. Her expertise and dedication were widely recognized, and she became a leading figure in Portuguese radiochemistry.
Awards:
– Branca Edmée Marques received multiple honourable mentions for her doctoral thesis from Sorbonne University, with support from Nobel Prize winners Jean Baptiste Perrin and Frédéric Joliot-Curie.
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