The ITB 2026 Research Seminar program continues on Thursday, March 5th at 11:00 a.m. with a seminar by Dr. Silvia Gutiérrez, who will give the talk "Neurogenic control of tumor growth", and a seminar by Dr. Danilo Boada at 12:30 p.m., who will give the talk "The butterfly lectures and their impact on pain neurobiology".

Silvia Gutiérrez is a research associate at Wake Forest University and a specialist in the interaction between the neurobiology of pain and cancer progression. With a PhD from Miguel Hernández University, her research focuses on the neurogenic control of tumor growth and the molecular communication between nociceptors and cancer cells. She has made key contributions to the understanding of the role of Substance P and NK1 receptors in the development of triple-negative breast cancer and perineural invasion. She is a co-investigator on high-impact NIH projects (RE-JOIN, P01, R01) on oxytocin, cellular stress, and the functional mapping of trigeminal neurons. Her work includes training medical students, giving international presentations, and actively serving as a reviewer for prestigious scientific journals in her field.

Mario Danilo Boada is an associate professor at Wake Forest University and an expert in the neurobiology of pain and the somatosensory system. With a PhD from Miguel Hernández University, his research is notable for its in vivo electrophysiological study of the trigeminal neural system. He has developed pioneering intracellular recording techniques and proposed the "butterfly effect" theory regarding the electrical mechanisms of pain. As a Co-Principal Investigator, he leads several NIH programs focused on oxytocin, temporomandibular joint mapping, and the relationship between cancer and the nervous system. He also serves as a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry and as a reviewer for NIH panels and prestigious scientific journals.

Both seminars will be taught exclusively in person in the ITB Seminar Room.