Mario Bernardo-Filho

Mario Bernardo-Filho is the Head of the Laboratory of Mechanical Vibration and Integrative Practices, Department of Biophysics and Biometry, Biology Institute Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Brazil. He finished his academic course of Biomedicine in 1974. Dr. Bernardo-Filho obtained his Ph.D. (1988) in experimental models using radiopharmaceuticals in studies with rats and Escherichia coli cultures. After that, he started investigations about the biological effects of chemical agents (mainly stannous chloride) and extracts of medicinal plants in Escherichia coli cultures and DNA plasmid. In was evaluated, in rats, the effect of synthetic and natural products on the biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals and on the labeling of blood constituents with technetium-99m. In 1999 he participated in a competition to be a Full Professor (UERJ) and presented his thesis. He finished his academic course of Physiotherapy (2006). Dr. Bernardo-Filho started new researches (2010) involving integrative and complementary medicine (auriculotherapy and acupuncture) and mechanical vibrations generated in a vibratory platform that produces whole-body vibration exercises (WBVE) when a subject is in contact with a platform. Studies to evaluate the consequences of WBVE and extracts of medicinal plants in rats are ongoing. Investigations about the effects of the WBVE in individuals with different diseases (metabolic syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthrosis, and osteoporosis) and healthy people are ongoing too. Currently, he is the Head of the Laboratório de Vibrações Mecânicas e Práticas Integrativas of the UERJ (LAVIMPI-UERJ), Brazil.