Born in Mexico City in 1953, in 1968, he entered the National Preparatory School, in Campus number 9 “Pedro de Alba,” he studied Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. As a medical student, in 1973, he began research work at the Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga, with Dr. Eduardo Ortega and later with Dr. Gabor Katona Salgo. He completed the undergraduate rotating internship and the internship year in Social Service in the Rheumatology Service (Fig. 1).

Figure 1 Dr. Rubén Burgos Vargas. 

He continues at the Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga, as a rotating postgraduate resident, resident of the specialization in Internal Medicine and resident in Rheumatology, he joins as an attached physician performing rheumatological medical care in adults and begins Pediatric Rheumatology at the Institution, his research career intensifies, and he teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses. In 1981, he was certified by the Mexican Council of Rheumatology, in which he later participated in the formation of the Pediatric Rheumatology Section of the same board.

He studied the subspecialty in Pediatric Rheumatology under the tutorship of Dr. Barbara M Ansell at the Clinical Research Center of Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, and the Canadian Red Cross Memorial, Taplow in the United Kingdom, during the years of 1982 and 1983, during which time he continued his development as a researcher.

During his development in rheumatology, he worked on spondyloarthritis and spondyloarthropathies until he became a world expert in these pathologies, especially juvenile ones; describes ankylosing tarsitis, as a novel subtype of these rheumatic diseases, and stands out by identifying and publishing the differences of juvenile spondyloarthropathies in mestizo and Caucasian patients. Without a doubt, Dr. Burgos is an international expert in juvenile spondyloarthropathies and has made contributions in this line in aspects of classification, nomenclature, and therapeutics.

In his academic life at the national and international level, he has participated in the training of rheumatologists, master’s and doctors of science, author of chapters in national and international books (30), in publications, he is the author or co-author of 288 articles in recognized high-impact journals (Table 1), and has given many conferences. It is noteworthy that Dr. Burgos’ works are cited all over the world, with approximately 40000 references. As a researcher, he has been a researcher in Medical Sciences F by the National Institutes of Health, a member of the National System of Researchers since 1985, where he reaches the degree of SNI III, and to date holds the level of Emeritus Researcher. He also held the position of Director of Research at the Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga.

At the level of academic organizations, he was president of the Mexican Society of Rheumatology and of the Mexican Council of Rheumatology, in the National Academy of Medicine he has been a Full Academic member. Member of associations, schools, and universities, as well as a member of the boards of directors of various national and international groups. He has received national and international awards and distinctions, and the Mexican College of Rheumatology awarded him the highest distinction as “Master of Rheumatology.”

Dr. Burgos in his life is the son of Rubén and María Cristina, draftsmen in the Department of Cartography of the Ministry of National Defense. With his wife and partner in medical care and research, Dr. Nora Janitzia Vázquez Mellado has worked and published; He has two sisters, two sons, and two grandchildren.

In sports and culture he distinguished himself as a passionate about soccer, which he always practiced, we remember him playing since high school in the parking lot of the same, in his free time and surely also sacrificing one or another class, during his professional training he continued to play this sport and in the General Hospital of Mexico he was part of the soccer team of the Institution for years. He was also a marathon runner. In the arts, he cultivated music as a pianist.

As we know, the Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga is an institution that gives us the opportunity for our professional development without barriers, an example is represented by Dr. Rubén Burgos Vargas, who academically achieved an outstanding development that we recognize today.