The researcher will spend six months at the University of Salerno, alongside two international leaders in artificial intelligence applied to biomedical data analysis
Pamplona, 26 November 2025 — Researcher Juan Pedro García Ortiz, a doctoral student at the NAIR Center and the Public University de Navarre (UPNA, by its initials in Spanish), has begun a six-month research stay at the University ofe Salerno (Italy). During this time, he will work under the supervision of Francesco Bardozzo and Roberto Tagliaferri, researchers at the University of Salerno and international leaders in artificial intelligence applied to biomedical data analysis.
His stay is part of a dual doctoral programme between the UPNA and the University of Salerno, which will enable the researcher to obtain a PhD from both institutions, thereby strengthening scientific collaboration between Navarre and the Salerno region.
During this period, García Ortiz will focus his research on optimising models for Motor Imagination (MI) analysis based on EEG signals. The aim is to create an AI system capable of understanding brain signals as they occur and using these signals to control a computer. This is being done to help people who suffer from paralysis due to a cerebrovascular accident such as a stroke. Many of these people have difficulty moving one side of their body. This AI will be able to detect that the patient is trying to move the paralysed part and, based on the type of movement they are trying to make, the programme will generate a response. It is mainly intended for rehabilitation, although it would also allow the creation of devices that patients can control with their thoughts to help them in their daily lives.
In addition, the stay will help Juan Pedro finalise the mouse spinal cord model and develop AI tools for predicting functional connectivity. This will provide a better understanding of how the spinal cord processes and transmits pain signals from the body to the brain, opening the door to new therapies for pain treatment. Another key objective is to delve deeper into the mechanisms of attention in AI, a fundamental technique in recent advances in molecular modelling and large language models (LLMs) with the aim of designing new molecules with therapeutic potential.
Juan Pedro García holds a degree in Biotechnology from the University of Murcia and completed a Master’s degree in Basic and Applied Neuroscience at the University of Valencia and a Master’s degree in Bioinformatics at the University of Murcia. Before starting his PhD, he worked at the University of Alcalá de Henares, in the Department of Systems Biology, within the Pain Neurobiology group.
He is currently developing his thesis in Computational Neuroscience, focusing on the design of AI models for the analysis of neurological signals. His stay in Salerno will allow him to advance several key lines of work alongside Roberto Tagliaferri and Francesco Bardozzo. Roberto Tagliaferri is a professor of Computer Science at the University of Salerno and director of the Doctoral School in Big Data Management and Data Science, Accounting & Management. Francesco Bardozzo, a senior researcher, has a PhD in artificial intelligence applied to robotic microsurgery.
With this stay, García Ortiz takes a decisive step forward in NAIR’s line of research, which lies at the frontier between neuroscience, AI and advanced modelling. Juan Pedro García’s doctoral thesis is being developed thanks to the support of the Caja Navarra Foundation, and his stay at the University of Salerno is made possible by “la Caixa” Foundation, whose financial backing helps to promote the advanced training of young researchers and strengthen international scientific collaboration networks.
About NAIR Center
NAIR Center, the International Centre for Research in Intelligence Artificial of Navarre, is an organisation focused on promoting basic and applied research in artificial intelligence (AI) and data engineering. Founded in 2022 by the Department of University, Innovation and Digital Transformation of the Government of Navarre, NAIR Center has positioned itself as a leader in the application of Artificial Intelligence for the benefit of society and the economic fabric, committed to excellence in research and the development of practical solutions to contemporary challenges using advanced technologies. Its main objectives include promoting high-quality research in AI and data technology, disseminating knowledge to businesses and society, encouraging the use of AI in the Navarre System, SINAI, and in regional companies to boost competitiveness, supporting academic and applied research in AI, and promoting the creation of high-value jobs and contributing to the overall development of R&D&I.
