Dr. Minerva Deyanira Anguiano, Curator of the Mexican Medicine Museum
There is no more wax than that which burns.
She holds a degree in Art History, a Master's in Art Studies, and a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology. Her research focuses on the intersection of art, science, and gender, with the perspective provided by the anthropological discipline. She has developed professionally in the museum, academic, and research fields at both national and international institutions. She has received the FIC Scholarship for Academic Excellence and the Research Grant from Conacyt. Her most recent book is titled Antes de que nos olviden. Ensayos sobre arte y ciencia (Before We Are Forgotten: Essays on Art and Science). She has written several essays, including Textos e intertextos: ejercicio editorial para los acervos visuales (2019), Ejercicio Plástico: 1933. Reflexiones en torno a un mural colectivo (2017), Narrar y narrar de nuevo: la colección médica (2015), Cordelia Urueta y la escritura de su historia (2014), among others. She is a member of the National System of Artistic Creators (FONCA) in the essay category.

Fulvio Barbaro, PhD, is Scientific Director of the Museum and Historical Library of Biomedicine (BIOMED) at the University of Parma (UNIPR) in Parma, Italy.
The anatomical clinical legacy of Lorenzo Tenchini and his unique anatomical collection at the University of Parma
He also holds an appointment as Scientific Manager of the Laboratory of Regenerative Morphology and Bioartificial Structures (REMOBIOS) in the Department of Medicine and Surgery (DIMEC) of UNIPR, and serves as a Member of the Committee for the Third Mission of DIMEC-UNIPR. As a Tenure Track Researcher and Instructor in Human Anatomy at the DIMEC, his biomedical research focuses on the functional morphology and bioengineering of endocrine and neuroendocrine organs, computational anatomy, and its applications to neuroradiological diagnostics based on artificial intelligence algorithms, and programming of humanoid robots for health monitoring. To these aims, he leads Research Units developing EU Horizon and PRIN Projects. Being an active member of the Italian Society of Anatomy and Histology (SIAI), he also has a strong interest in human macroscopic morphology, and the preservation and study of anatomical collections.
In his duties at BIOMED, he coordinates projects on anatomical heritage conservation, digitalization, and virtual restoration of historical specimens. He has contributed to initiatives on 3D scanning of mummified anatomical preparations, and interdisciplinary research on the history of anatomical education. His work integrates scientific investigation with museology, enhancing the role of historical collections in modern biomedical research. His latest collaborative efforts includes the study of the technique used by Lorenzo Tenchini to fabricate his 19th-century anatomical masks, their reproduction with immersive 3D virtual reality, and attribution of cranial remains to the subjects represented in the masks. In light of all these scientific targets, he benefits of a continuous cooperation with international Institutions under the mentorship of Prof. Roberto Toni including the Department of Biomedicine of the University of Basel (CH), Tufts University School of Medicine, in Boston, MA, USA, and RIV University at Dubai (UAE).
For additional information, please refer to the following links:
https://mc.unipr.it/laboratorio-di-morfologia-rigenerativa-e-strutture-bioartificiali
https://www.anfamedmuseo.unipr.it/
https://www.sma.unipr.it/it/museo-diffuso-delle-scienze/collezione-di-biomedicina/

Marta Biaggini, curator at the Museum of Natural History of the University of Florence, La Specola
She holds a PhD in Animal Ethology and Ecology at the University of Florence, Italy, and since then she has been active in the field of animal ecology and wildlife conservation. Since 2023 she has been responsible for the collection of anatomical models at La Specola Museum and is currently involved in projects aimed at the valorization of cultural heritage.

Art and Science. The new section dedicated to wax models of the La Specola Museum, in Florence
One year ago, the La Specola Museum (belonging to the Museum System of the University of Florence) has reopened after five years of renovation. Two new exhibition sections have been inaugurated, including: Art and Science. Educational models. Three out of seven rooms in this new section are almost entirely dedicated to the Florentine botanical waxes, consisting of over 170 models of plants and fruits and 37 tables of plant anatomy and pathology. These wax-works are now visible to the public for the first time in over a century, once again displayed alongside human and animal anatomical waxes. The Art and Science section, illustrating the meaning and the chronological evolution of naturalistic and anatomical models in Florence, starting from the 17th century, also features the artworks by Gaetano Giulio Zumbo, a sample of the anatomical waxes still exhibited in the historical rooms of the Museum, still life paintings of Bartolomeo Bimbi, decomposable anatomical models in wood (conceived by Felice Fontana) and papier-mâché (by L. T. J. Auzoux). Outside the new exhibition section, one additional room - formerly used for several years as the Museum’s ticket office - has been restored to its original purpose. It now once again houses an exhibition of 45 anatomical wax models of animals.

Dr. Laura Cházaro García, 3D Researcher, Level III SNII, Cinvestav
The Vasseur Models of the Palace of Medicine.
Doctor of Philosophy from the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters. She is currently a Level III 3D Researcher of the SNII at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies. Her research areas include the history of science and education in the 19th century, scientific material culture, scientific measurements and instruments, as well as science, bodies, and gender.

Eleanor Crook
The making of a new public sculpture for London and the wax modelling techniques employed for bronze.
Eleanor Crook is sculpting an elaborate bronze memorial sculpture for a prominent public building in London. For the detailing and ornament a number of innovative, and ancient, wax techniques are involved, balancing speed of workmanship with accuracy of translation for bronze casting. The modelling calls for botanical, anatomical, architectural and jewellery wax techniques which need to be brought into a harmonious final result. In addition the sculpture will contain a mysterious wax object which the sculptor will reveal, binding all delegates to secrecy.

Mtra. Nuria Galland Camacho, Director of the Mexican Medicine Museum, UNAM
The collection of the Museum of Medicine, its conservation, and its exhibition.
She holds a Master's degree in Art Studies and a Bachelor's degree in Art History from the Universidad Iberoamericana. She is currently the director of the Mexican Medicine Museum at the Faculty of Medicine, UNAM. She has taught Art History at the Universidad Iberoamericana, the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, among other educational institutions. In the curatorial field, she has participated in various national and international temporary exhibitions dedicated to art and medical sciences. Under her coordination, the Faculty of Medicine has published several titles aimed at promoting the history of medicine in Mexico.

Mtra. Verónica González Illescas, Responsible for Pedagogical Services and Academic Content at the Mexican Medicine Museum
The collection of anatomical models as a catalyst for pedagogical strategies.
She holds a Master's degree in Art History from UNAM (2020) and a Bachelor's degree in Art History from the Universidad Iberoamericana with honors (2014). In the field of research, she has focused on image studies, 19th-century public sculpture in Mexico, and the dissemination of art and science. She is currently in charge of the Pedagogical Services and Academic Content Area at the Palace of the School of Medicine. She has curated temporary art exhibitions and conducted iconographic research for editorial projects within the same institution.

Alma Hannig
Alma Hannig is a historian and the main coordinator for over 40 university museums and collections at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Germany. She is the director of the University Museum and P26, the new House of Knowledge and Research at the University of Bonn. Her research focuses on the history of the university, the provenance of university collections, and the history of diplomacy in the long 19th century in Germany and Austria.

The Bonn Moulage Collection and Provenance Research: Balancing the Handling of Sensitive Objects and Data with Research and Exibition Practice
The Bonn Moulage Collection is a historically significant compilation of wax models, primarily created in the early 20th century. Housed at the University of Bonn's Department of Dermatology, the collection contains over 1.000 lifelike moulages depicting a wide range of skin diseases. Originally used for medical education and diagnostic training, these models serve as both a teaching tool and cultural heritage, highlighting intersections of art, science, and the history of medicine. The focus of my talk is the history of the collection and its exceptionally thorough documentation, which raises the question of what a responsible and fair approach to sensitive objects and data might look like. In addition, the talk highlights the potential of the collection to be used across disciplines — in research, teaching, and also in exhibition practice.

Chiara Nepi
From 1988 to 2025 curator of the Botanical Collections at the Natural History Museum of the University of Florence, now part of the University Museum System. She has been responsible for the conservation, management and study of the collections, particularly the historical herbaria and those in the artistic field, such as botanical waxes and still life paintings, overseeing their restoration and loan to outside exhibitions. Individually or in collaboration with other researchers, she has studied the depiction of plants in art, their identification, and their meaning. She has curated (in collaboration with others) numerous exhibitions, both internal and external, and has worked on the new display of botanical wax models and paintings at the La Specola site of the Natural History Museum. She has published works on the history of botany and herbaria, as well as on the identification of plants in various works of art.

Art and Science. The new section dedicated to wax models of the La Specola Museum, in Florence
One year ago, the La Specola Museum (belonging to the Museum System of the University of Florence) has reopened after five years of renovation. Two new exhibition sections have been inaugurated, including: Art and Science. Educational models. Three out of seven rooms in this new section are almost entirely dedicated to the Florentine botanical waxes, consisting of over 170 models of plants and fruits and 37 tables of plant anatomy and pathology. These wax-works are now visible to the public for the first time in over a century, once again displayed alongside human and animal anatomical waxes. The Art and Science section, illustrating the meaning and the chronological evolution of naturalistic and anatomical models in Florence, starting from the 17th century, also features the artworks by Gaetano Giulio Zumbo, a sample of the anatomical waxes still exhibited in the historical rooms of the Museum, still life paintings of Bartolomeo Bimbi, decomposable anatomical models in wood (conceived by Felice Fontana) and papier-mâché (by L. T. J. Auzoux). Outside the new exhibition section, one additional room - formerly used for several years as the Museum’s ticket office - has been restored to its original purpose. It now once again houses an exhibition of 45 anatomical wax models of animals.

Dr. Roberta Panzanelli - Otis College of Art and Design
Waxing and Waning. A Tale of Florentine Ex-votos
Dr. Panzanelli holds a PhD in Art History from UCLA; her dissertation focused on the early polychrome and poly-material tableaux of Sacro Monte at Varallo (Vercelli, Italy). She spent over a decade at the Getty Research Institute and The Getty Villa, organizing conferences, curating exhibitions, and publishing works such as "Ephemeral Bodies. Wax Sculpture and the Human Figure." Currently, she teaches art history and fashion theory at Otis College in Los Angeles.

Martina Peters
Martina Peters has been working as a conservator at the Josephinum – Medical History Museum Vienna since 2013. She studied Conservation and Restoration at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, with a specialization in objects made of wax. At the Josephinum, she is primarily responsible for the care of anatomical models, moulages, and other wax artefacts. Her work encompasses preventive conservation, the conservation and restoration of objects, as well as their handling in the context of in-house exhibitions and outgoing loans. Her research focuses on the Florentine anatomical wax model collection held at the Josephinum.

The 2019–2022 Renovation of the Josephinum and Its Anatomical Wax Model Collection
The Josephinum, one of Vienna’s few well-preserved neoclassical monuments, underwent a major interior renovation between 2019 and 2022. Founded in 1785 by Emperor Joseph II as a medico-surgical military academy, the institution houses an exceptional collection of 18th-century anatomical wax models—originally produced in Florence at La Specola under the direction of Felice Fontana, with key contributions from anatomist Paolo Mascagni and master modeler Clemente Susini. These scientifically accurate and artistically refined models, many still displayed in their original walnut display cases, represent a unique legacy of Enlightenment-era medical education.
The primary objective of the 2019–2022 renovation was the structural and technical modernization of the historic building. However, from a curatorial perspective, the project also offered an unprecedented opportunity to reconfigure the presentation of the wax model collection in line with its original 18th-century arrangement. In preparation for the renovation, a comprehensive inventory and condition assessment of the collection was undertaken. Given the fragility and material sensitivity of the wax models, each object was evaluated and categorized as stable, sensitive, or damaged. Based on these findings, objects were relocated within the building with corresponding protective measures in place.
In parallel, a significant portion of the models underwent conservation treatment—not only to prepare them for transport during the renovation, but also to ensure their long-term stability for future exhibition. Conservation efforts addressed both structural vulnerabilities and surface cleaning, and were carried out in accordance with international standards for the care of historical scientific objects. This process is ongoing and continues to play a critical role in the preservation of the collection.
To protect the historical models from vibrations, dust, and other risks associated with construction work, the renovation was carried out in two phases. During the first phase, two-thirds of the building were under construction, while the entire collection was temporarily relocated to the southern wing of the Josephinum. Following completion of structural works, the anatomical models were reinstalled in the historically documented rooms of the first floor, while the obstetrical collection remained in the adjacent space where it had been located since the 1960s. Today, the restored Josephinum not only reflects the architectural ideals of the Enlightenment but also reaffirms its role as a vital institution for the preservation, study, and public interpretation of early medical science.

Dr. Mariblanca Ramos Rocha, Head of the Department of History and Philosophy at the Faculty of Medicine
Anatomical Models for Teaching in the Dermatology Chair in the XIX Century.
Medical surgeon from Universidad Anáhuac. Specialized in Psychiatry at UNAM/Hospital Español. Holds a Master’s degree in Sciences with a focus on Clinical Psychiatry from UNAM/National Institute of Psychiatry. She holds a Doctorate in Sciences with a specialization in Bioethics from the Master’s and Doctorate Program in Medical, Dental, and Health Sciences at UNAM. She is a full-time Professor A in the Department of History and Philosophy of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, UNAM. A member of various medical societies, including the New York Academy of Science, International Society for the History of Medicine, Mexican Society for the History of Medicine, and the Pan-American Academy of the History of Medicine. She is the author of multiple book chapters and articles in indexed journals.

Dr. Martha Eugenia Rodríguez, Department of History and Philosophy of Medicine
XIX-century medicine, the construction of the body.
She studied her Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, and Ph.D. in History at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at UNAM. She was a scholarship recipient at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine in London, England. She is a full professor C and the head of the Department of History and Philosophy of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses. She was the president of the Mexican Society of History and Philosophy of Medicine. She is a member of the National System of Researchers (SNI) and belongs to the National Academy of Medicine, the Mexican Academy of Surgery, the Mexican Academy of Sciences, and the Mexican National Academy of Bioethics. Her research focuses on medicine during the colonial period and the 19th century.

Dr. Gabino Sánchez, Full-time Professor in the Department of History and Philosophy of Medicine
Anatomical Models and Medical Education at the National School of Medicine of Mexico.
He holds a Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate in History from the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at UNAM. Currently, he is a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, UNAM, and President of the Mexican Society for the History and Philosophy of Medicine. He teaches History and Philosophy of Medicine in the Department of History and Philosophy at the Faculty of Medicine and is a Graduate Professor of Mexican Medical History in the Master's and Doctoral Program in Medical, Dental, and Health Sciences. He has been the primary advisor for two undergraduate students, seven master's students, and is currently supervising a doctoral thesis in the field of medical humanities. He is the author of the following books. Development of Scientific Medicine, Government of the State of Mexico, Pinacoteca 2000, Biblioteca Mexiquense del Bicentenario, 2009. History of the National Medical Institute of Mexico 1888-1915, Mexico, UNAM, Faculty of Medicine, 2019. The Anatomical Museum of the National School of Medicine 1870-1910, Mexico, UNAM, Faculty of Medicine, 2019. He has authored 15 scientific articles, 25 book chapters, and over 50 dissemination articles in the field of medical humanities. In 2018, the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico awarded him the "Dr. Germán Somolinos D’Ardois" Prize in recognition of his professional career and lifelong dedication to the study and dissemination of the history of medicine.

Roberto Toni, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine Division Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
The anatomical clinical legacy of Lorenzo Tenchini and his unique anatomical collection at the University of Parma
Research Associate, National Research Council (CNR) - ISSMC, Faenza, Italy, Scientific Consultant, RIV-Capital Inc. Luxembourg and Dubai (UAE), and Senior Founder, Laboratory of Regenerative Morphology and Bioartificial Structures, Department of Medicine and Surgery, and Museum and Historical Library of Biomedicine (BIOMED), University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Pre-doctoral Fellow at the Cardiothoracic Institute of the University of London (UK) and Department of Biochemistry - Edgenossiche Technische Hochschule (ETH) of Zurich (CH), he obtained his MD degree and Subspecialty Board in Internal Medicine at the University of Bologna, and Subspecialty Board of Endocrinology at the University of Modena, Italy. Post-doctoral Fellow at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet of Stockholm (Sweden), in 1987 he was awarded an NIH-International Fogarty Fellowship PhD in Endocrinology at the Endocrinology Division - New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA, where he remained up to 1989. From 2000 to 2023 he held the appointment of Professor of Human Anatomy and Scientific Director of BIOMED at the University of Parma, Italy; here, in 2017 he promoted the first international exposition of the historical collection of masks and anatomical preparations by the nineteenth-century anatomist and psychiatrist, Lorenzo Tenchini who was forerunner of the modern concepts of clinical neuroanatomy based on the principle of morpho-functional unity, and its application to the psychic deviance. In collaboration with his original research group at the University of Parma, Roberto Toni is currently engaged in a number of research topics in molecular endocrinology, regenerative medicine of endocrine and neuroendocrine structures, bioartificial organ engineering, and mechanisms regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary axis in mammals and man including the role of endocrine disrupting chemicals. As a clinician and researcher, attention is currently paid to emerging fields in health care and its monitoring through innovative informatic technologies like smart spaces, digital twins, and the use of humanoid robots for collaborative support to the human action during motor rehabilitation, and in extreme survival conditions like those of explorers in Polar bases and astronauts during Space missions. Member of the Academy of Sciences of Bologna and Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti of Messina, Italy he has served in the Editorial and Review Boards of national and international scientific journals of the biomedical and endocrine/metabolic fields and, in collaboration with a number of national and international Academic and Research Institutions he is actively working on innovative symbolic languages for inferential clinical reasoning based on anatomical knowledge. Instrumental to these studies, the Tenchini’s masks and anatomical collection at Parma University provide a valuable source of data for training humanoid robots with computer vision to recognize anatomical parts and face physionomics for first aid intervention to human subjects.

Dr. Carlos Viesca Treviño, Researcher in the Department of History and Philosophy of the Faculty of Medicine
The Josephinum hospital of Vienna.
He is a medical surgeon from the Faculty of Medicine at UNAM, a general surgeon, and holds a Doctorate in Sciences with a specialization in the History of Science from UAM. He is a full-time Professor C in the Department of History and Philosophy of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, UNAM. He served as head of this department from 1983 to 2012.
Member of the National System of Researchers from 1984 to 2020. He is also a member of several prestigious academies, including the National Academy of Medicine, the Mexican Academy of Surgery, the Mexican Academy of Sciences, the International Academy of Philosophy of Science (AIaPS), and the Mexican Society of History and Philosophy of Medicine.
Currently, he serves as the President of the International Society for the History of Medicine and Honorary President of the Pan-American Academy of the History of Medicine. He is the author and editor of 51 books, has contributed to over 100 book chapters, and has published nearly 200 articles in national and international journals.

Speakers