“ETHICALLY IMPOSSIBLE” STD Research in Guatemala from 1946-1948 
Table 2: Individuals Involved in the STD Experiments in Guatemala 
NAME 
AFFILIATION 
TITLE 
KNOWN ROLE IN 
GUATEMALA EXPERIMENTS 
Mahoney, Dr. John F. 
USPHS, VDRL, NIH, Director, VDRL (1929-1949) Member of the Syphilis Study 
Syphilis Study Section Section that approved the 
Guatemala research grant 
Primary supervisor of the 
experiments 
Received Cutler’s reports on 
the experiments 
Visited the Guatemala site at 
least once in April 1947 
Maza, Dr. Raul 
Guatemala National Active in intentional exposure 
Army of the Revolution experiments 
Military Hospital 
Moore, Dr. Joseph E. 
NIH, Syphilis Study Chairman, Syphilis Study Chairman of the Syphilis Study 
Section Section Section that approved the 
Chairman of the National Associate Professor, Johns Guatemala research grant 
Research Council, Hopkins University Advised Committee on Medical 
Subcommittee on Research on the importance of 
Venereal Diseases prophylactic research 
Oliva, Dr. Joseph 
Guatemala National Colonel Participant in the syphilis 
Army of the Revolution experiments 
Parran, Dr. Thomas 
USPHS U.S. Surgeon General Granted final approval for the 
(1936-1948) Guatemala research grant 
Portnoy, Joseph 
USPHS /PASB, Serologist, USPHS Participant in the syphilis 
Guatemala chief, Laboratory experiments 
Guatemala City, USPHS 
(Sept. 1946-Apr. 1948) 
Salvado, Dr. Carlos 
Guatemala National Hospital Director Invited the researchers to do 
Psychiatric Hospital Special Consuitant w|th ^ experiments in the Psychiatric 
Venereal Disease Division, ospila 
Bureau of State Services, Active participant in the 
USPHS with supervision intentional exposure 
by PASB (Dec. 1948-May experiments 
19501 
' Involved in the continuation of 
data collection from subjects 
until 1953 
Spoto, Dr. Joseph 
USPHS / PASB, Assistant Chief, Venereal Facilitated PASB construction 
Guatemala and USPHS, Disease Division, USPHS and other activities at start of 
Washington DC (1947-1948) research 
Chief, PASB Guatemala Introduced researchers to 
Office (1945-1946) Guatemalan officials who 
assisted in the experiments 
114 
