Carlos Juan Finlay (December 3, 1833 – August 20, 1915) was a Cuban epidemiologist recognized as a pioneer in the research of yellow fever, determining that it was transmitted through mosquitoes Aedes aegypti.

His father was a physician who had fought alongside Simón Bolívar, and his family owned a coffee plantation in Alquízar.

[1] Because the University of Havana would not recognize his European academic credits, he enrolled at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which did not require prerequisites.

Reed often cited Finlay's papers in his own articles and gave him credit for the discovery in his personal correspondence.

[6] In the words of General Leonard Wood, a physician and U.S. military governor of Cuba in 1900: "The confirmation of Dr. Finlay's doctrine is the greatest step forward made in medical science since Jenner's discovery of the vaccination [for smallpox]."

[citation needed] His interests were widespread and he wrote articles on subjects as varied as leprosy, cholera, gravity, and plant diseases.

[8] In 1928, President Gerardo Machado established the National Order of Merit Carlos J. Finlay, rewarding contributions to healthcare and medicine.

In recognition of his work on Yellow Fever, The American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene posthumously awarded him the Walter Reed Medal in 1942.

[11] On Cuba Street in downtown Old Havana, the Revolutionary Government in 1962 founded a medical history museum in honor of Carlos J. Finlay.

"[citation needed] In the municipality of Marianao, now within the city of Havana, there is a monument in the shape of a syringe, honoring Finlay and usually referred to as El Obelisco (The Obelisk).