Carlos E. Baena-Cagnani died suddenly celebrating the beginning of 2015 with his children and grandchildren in Ascochinga, Province of Cordoba, Argentina. This location had significant symbolic value to Carlos as it was where he frequently met with his colleagues in an atmosphere of friendship and camaraderie to plan regional, national and international scientific meetings that would disseminate advances in scientific research for the specialty of Allergy/Immunology. He was an avid supporter of education and training of younger physicians and scientists, inspiring many of his colleagues to become actively involved in the development of original scientific research.
Carlos was a very hard worker from the time he began his career as an allergy fellow at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain under the mentorship of the late Dr. Alberto Oehling. At that time, many diseases in our specialty were empirically managed; however, Carlos recognized very early on the importance of advocating for scientific-evidence based approaches in treating asthma and allergic rhinitis. His passion for Evidence Based Medicine although sometimes misunderstood, was infectious and was instrumental in changing the public perception of Allergy and Immunology in Argentina and throughout Latin America.
Carlos worked with major thought leaders in our specialty such as Gunnar Johansson, Jean Bousquet, Walter Canonica, and many more carrying forward marathon sessions of scientific and organizational work, emphasizing personal knowledge and friendship with each colleague. Carlos was highly regarded for his academic aptitude, passion and energy, as well as his collegial skills and as a result became a dear friend to many. He was a prolific writer of many scientific articles in peer reviewed journals and chapters in Allergy, Immunology text books. Carlos left an indelible imprint transforming and modernizing the Scientific Societies which he chaired including the Argentinean Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the Latin American Society of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, the World Allergy Organization (WAO), and most recently the Global Partnership In Asthma (Interasma) whose mission includes bringing scientific knowledge and advances in care to allergists/immunologists working in underserved countries of the world who are not able to readily travel to international meetings. His tireless efforts were instrumental in drawing international recognition of Allergy/Clinical Immunology in Argentina and throughout Latin America.
Carlos, as a former rugby player, always emphasized that outcomes depend on teamwork, where all partners are critical for success. He worshiped friendship and was a lover of the arts, especially music, and sports.
Carlos's absence has left an irreplaceable void in our lives and is a great loss to our specialty. His giant personality will be greatly missed but his memory has invoked in all of us the desire to continue to promote and develop the educational/scientific initiatives that he passionately embraced.
