Dr. Cristina Martínez, postdoctoral researcher in the research group in http://en.vhir.org/portal1/grup-equip.asp?s=recerca&contentid=187018 Physiology and Pathopshysiology of the Digestive Tract of the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR) has received the Junior Research Award in Basic / Translational Research awarded by the https://www.iffgd.org/" International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD). The awards were presented yesterday at a ceremony held in Washington as part of the Digestive Disease Week.This award is a recognition of the scientific trajectory and the relevant contributions in the field of functional gastrointestinal diseases research to junior and senior researchers. The awards are given every two years to eight researchers from around the world. Of these eight awards, only one is for a junior researcher in basic research and in this category Dr. Martinez has been awarded."With these awards we recognize and honor the contributions of young researchers who have demonstrated a commitment to research that will improve the diagnosis, treatment and care of people with chronic digestive disorders," said Ceciel T. Rooker, president of IFFGD.Dr. Martinez has oriented her scientific career to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying the intestinal inflammation related to stress, particularly in the irritable bowel syndrome as a model of disease. Her specific contribution in this field has been be involved in both: basic and translational research projects, to understand how the intestinal barrier function is modulated by the specific expression of genes / proteins and miRNAs and how they contribute to the main symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome.She obtained her PhD in Molecular Biology and Biomedicine under the supervision of Dr. Javier Santos and Dr. Maria Vicario. Her thesis project provided the first evidence of structural and functional alterations in the close union of small bowel signaling in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), its relation to mast cell activation, and the correlation with the clinical outcome of these patients. Her findings challenge the classic view of IBS as a model functional disorder while reinforcing its organic origin and has provided new objectives to better address therapeutic interventions."In fact, we have shown that the molecular and structural alterations of IBS correlate with clinical findings and, for the first time, we have shown that IBS is an organic disease, since there is a structural alteration in the intestinal epithelium," he says. Dr. Martinez.During her postdoctoral stage she trained in the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and later in the laboratory of Dr. Niesler, president of the COST Action Genes in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (GENIEUR) in the Institute of Human Genetics of the University of Heidelberg, where she was a guest researcher for four years.The IFFGDThe International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) is a non-profit educational and research organization dedicated to improve the life of people affected by chronic gastrointestinal disorders. Founded in 1991, the IFFGD helps improve medical care by increasing awareness, education, and supporting and encouraging the research of treatments and cures for people with chronic gastrointestinal disorders.