Personale docente

I am Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the Department of Food and Drug of the University of Parma. I studied at the University of Siena (MSc cum Laude in Medicinal Chemistry, 2000; PhD in Medicinal Chemistry, 2004), doing my doctoral studies in solid-phase synthesis and antiviral drug-discovery with Prof. Maurizio Botta. Then I did postdoctoral research at the University of Georgia (with David C.K. Chu; 2005-2006) where I pioneered the application of sub-zero microwave assisted technology for the synthesis of antiviral and anticancer nucleosides. I returned to the University of Siena as postdoctoral researcher (2006-2010) and then as untenured Assistant Professor (2010-2011). In December 2011 I moved to the University of Parma as permanent Assistant Professor at the School of Pharmacy, where I became Associate Professor in 2014. In March 2017 I received the national scientific qualification to the role of Full Professor.

I have participated in different National (Programma per la Ricerca Regionale in Materia di Salute 2009; PRIN- 2007; PRIN-2008, PRIN-2010_2011, FIL-2012_2015) and International (CHAARM; ExCellENT-Hit; TRIoH; COST Angiokem, COST Glisten, Chiesi Foundation) multidisciplinary research projects. I was also actively involved in the exploitation of the obtained research results by participating to the exclusive agreement between the University of Siena and Virostatics Srl for the licencing of the antitumor/antiviral compounds object of the patent application WO2009034547. I was involved in the exclusive agreement between the University of Siena and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) for the licencing of the patent application WO2011073959. I was a co-author of the Business Plan “TKI Pharmaceutical”(based on the patent application WO2009034547) presented on 2006 at the scientific park Toscana Life Science. I was a co-author of the Business Plan “Lead Discovery Siena (LDS)” (based also on the patent application WO2009034547), winner of the 2009 edition of the Start Cup Toscana. I was a co-author and Proponent of the Business Plan “CoREX Pharm” (based on the patent application EP2388250) presented on 2012 at the scientific park Sardegna Ricerche. I was a co-author and Proponent of the Business Plan “AID-Discovery” (based on the patent application US 2012/0202814) presented on 2013 at the scientific park Sardegna Ricerche. I have been MC member of the international COST Action CM1207 "GLISTEN” (2013-2017) and Erasmus Delegate for the Department of Food and Drug (2012-2017). I am also member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Chemistry (since 2012).

I have ample experience in small-molecule drug discovery, with a solid record of successful discoveries: a) Discovery of new anti-HIV agents targeting viral proteins (within TRIoH and CHAARM FP projects); b) Discovery of new anti-HIV agents targeting host proteins (within ExCellENT-Hit FP project); c) Discovery of new ATP-competitive and allosteric kinase inhibitors active as anticancer agents on wild type and drug-resistant forms (within COST action Angiokem); d) Discovery of first-in-class Dengue Virus inhibitors targeting an allosteric pocket on viral NS5 polymerase; e) Discovery of multi-target molecules acting as broad-spectrum antivirals and CFTR correctors (Chiesi Foundation project). 

Currently, I’m Co-PI of a research project entitled “New tools in the fight against cystic fibrosis” (2017-2019), in collaboration with the University College London (Dr. Moss and Dr. Vergani) and funded by Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I am MC member of the COST Action CA18133 " European Research Network on Signal Transduction” (2019-2023) and participant of the COST Action CA17140 “Cancer Nanomedicine - from the bench to the bedside” (2018-2022)

The research activity of my group is currently focused on the design and synthesis of new potential drug-candidates for different infectious and chronic diseases: viral diseases (Dengue, Zika, WNV, HCV, Enterovirus), tumors (compounds targeting GPER-1,I1-IR, CXCR4, Src, Bcr-Abl), inflammatory bowel disease (CCR6 modulators), hyperlipidemia (PCSK9 inhibitors), Parkinson’s disease (LRRK2 inhibitors), cystic fibrosis (CFTR correctors/potentiators). Chemical and in silico tools are routinely used in my lab, to convert physical interactions into novel molecular probes able to properly modulate or repair a damaged biological process responsible for a disease. Particular attention is paid to the integration of combinatorial chemistry and computational techniques to speed-up the drug-discovery process by rational exploration of the biologically relevant chemical space. 

Overall, my research activity has lead to 75 papers in peer-reviewed international journals (H-index= 25; N citations= 1655 – from Scopus; H-index= 26; N citations = 1950 – from Google Scholar),  2 peer-reviewed book-chapters, 6 patent applications and many proceedings at congress.