Personale docente

Franca Zanardi -  Curriculum Vitae (update January 2024)

• e-mail: franca.zanardi@unipr.it        skype: franca.zanardi1           
•  Tel.: +39 0521905067
• ORCID: 0000-0001-7451-781X       Scopus Author ID: 7004159942
• h-index: 37, citazioni: 4485 (Scopus, Jan2024)
• web site BioOrgSynthesiS (BOSS)-Group: https://sites.google.com/view/bossgroupunipr/home
• member of the Società Chimica Italiana SCI (Italian Chemical Society)

• 2019-present: Full Professor of Organic Chemistry, Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Italy. Leader of the BioOrgSynthesiS Group (for current scientific interests, see infra)
• 2002-2019: Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma
• 1998-2002: Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma (Focus on the asymmetric synthesis of functionalized carbasugars)
• 1996-1998: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Pharmaceutical Department, University of Parma (Focus on the asymmetric synthesis of Annonaceous acetogenin derivatives and their structural variants); Supervisor: Prof. Giovanni Casiraghi
• July 1997: Ph.D. Title in Bio-Organic Chemistry, Final dissertation at the University Alma Mater Studiorum Bologna, Italy
• 1993-1996: Ph.D Studies in Bio-Organic Chemistry (Chemical Methods for the Investigation of Biological Processes), (Focus on the asymmetric synthesis of  natural and unnatural nucleosides), University of Parma, Supervisor: Prof. Giovanni Casiraghi
• 1993:  Laurea Degree (M.Sc. degree equivalent) in Chemistry summa cum laude, University of Parma, Italy; Supervisors: Prof. Mara Cornia and Prof. Giovanni Casiraghi, (Focus on unnatural C-glycoconjugated porphyrins)
• 1987: High School Degree (Liceo Scientifico, Parma, Italy), score 60/60 

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS/CONFERENCES

Co-author of 128 scientific publications in international journals of chemistry, 2 patents. 

Oral Communications at several national and international conferences, congresses, and schools including the following:

• 2023-Drug Conjugates for Directed Therapy - Technical University of Darmstadt (Germania), 23-25 Aug 2023 (Invited Plenary Lecture)
• 2022-XV Convegno Nazionale della Divisione di Chimica Organica della Società Chimica Italiana-Palermo (Italia), 11-15 Sept 2022 (Oral Communication)
• 2021-Ludwig Maximilians Universitat Munchen - Chemistry and Pharmacy Faculty, 14 Jun 2021 (Invited Seminar taken by distance)
• 2019-New Trends in Organic Synthesis-XXXIV Symposium, Milano (Italy), 25 Nov 2019 (Invited Plenary Lecture)
• 2018-XXII International Conference on Organic Synthesis-22ICOS, Firenze (Italy), 16-21 Sept 2018 (Invited Lecture)
• 2018-Peptides and conjugates for tumor targeting, therapy and diagnosis-RiminiPeptides2018, Rimini (Italy), 16-18 Jun 2018
• 2017-XXVI Congresso Nazionale della Società Chimica Italiana, Paestum (Salerno, Italy), 10-14 Sept 2017 (Invited Lecture, Award cerimony)
• 2016-Synthesis and Biomedical Applications of Tumor-Targeting Peptidomimetics-BolognaPeptides 2016, Bologna (Italy), 14-16 Feb 2016 (Keynote)
• 2012-Ischia Advanced School of Organic Chemistry-IASOC-2012, Ischia (Italy), 22-26 Sept 2012 (Invited Lecture)
• 2012-9th Spanish-Italian Symposium on Organic Chemistry-SISOC-IX, Tenerife (Spain), 10-14 Feb 2012 (Invited Lecture)
• 2011-Proteins, Peptides and Peptidomimetics-Application in Drug Discovery and Drug Development, Uppsala (Sweden), 7-8 Feb 2011 (Invited Lecture)

HONORS/AWARDS

• Recipient of the Scientific Research Prize in Organic Chemistry-Life Sciences 2017 from the Organic Chemistry Division of the Italian Chemical Society (September 2017)
• Three publications recognized as excellent scientific citations (2012, 2012, 2016), one publication recognized as “hot paper” (2015). 

 FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS (past ten years)

• 2022-2024; research project PRIN2020 funded by MIUR (Italian Ministry of the University and Research); Responsible of the Research Unit. Specific title: “Synthesis and biomedical applications of tumor targeting peptidomimetics and conjugates” (2020833Y75);
• 2020-2022; research project "SARS-CoV-2 e COVID-19, Farmaci mirati e approcci terapeutici innovative verso COVID-19” funded by Università di Parma, Principal Investigator. Titolo: “Tailored Peptidomimetics Halting SARS-CoV-2 Entry”;
• 2019-2020; research project funded by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze 2019; Prof. Francesca Bianchini, Università di Firenze (Principal Investigator) with Franca Zanardi (External Participant). Titolo: “Synthesis of novel anti-fibrotic agents for the treatment of Idiopatic Pulmonary Fibrosis”;
• 2018-2022; AIRC Investigator Grant IG2017, funded by AIRC; Prof. Nicola Giuliani, Università di Parma (Principal Investigator) with Franca Zanardi (Internal Participant). Titolo: “Glutamine metabolism for targeting and imaging in myeloma bone microenvironment”;
• 2017-2019; research project PRIN2015 funded by MIUR (Italian Ministry of the University and Research); Responsible of the Research Unit. Specific title: “Targeted small molecules & nanomaterials at work in biomedicine” (20157WW5EH);
•  2013-2015; research project PRIN2010/2011 funded by MIUR (Italian Ministry of the University and Research); Responsible of the Research Unit. Specific title: “Targeting integrins and beyond: synthesis and functional assessment of multi-task peptidomimetic assemblies in tumor therapy and diagnosis” (2010NRREPL_006)

MEMBERSHIP OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES/ADVISORY BOARD

• Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the international scientific Journal "ACS Central Science" (2023-present)
• International Meeting: “Synthesis and Biomedical Applications of Tumor-targeting Peptidomimetics- BolognaPeptides 2016”, Bologna, Italy, 14-16 February 2016
• International Symposium: “Peptides and conjugates for tumor targeting, therapy and diagnosis - RiminiPeptides2018”, Rimini, Italy, June 16-18, 2018
• International Symposium: “The Forth China-Italy Symposium Organic Chemistry – IV CISOC”, Bologna, Italy, 16-17 April 2019
• International School: “Ischia Advanced School of Organic Chemistry – 2022”, Ischia, Italy, 23-26 Sept 2022

REFEREE ACTIVITY

Referee of reputed international chemistry journals including the following:

• Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Eur. J. Org. Chem. Adv. Synth. Catal. (Wiley),
• Nature Commun. (Nature Publishing Group),
• J. Med. Chem., Org. Lett., J. Org. Chem., Bioconj. Chem. (ACS),  
• Bioorg. Med. Chem., Tetrahedron (Elsevier),
• Synlett (Thieme Med. Publishers),
• Org. Biomol. Chem., Org. Chem. Front., (Royal Soc. Chem.), Beil. J. Org. Chem. , etc.

Scientific referee of the Italian Ministry of University and Research MIUR, external referee of research projects at several Italian Universities; inserted in the “database of independent experts for European Research and Innovation”

INSTITUTONAL APPOINTMENTS at the University of Parma include:

• Reference person of the Department (Drug area) in favor of students with disability (1998-present)
• Member of the Teaching Board of the Doctorate School "Drug Sciences” (2011-present)
• Responsible of Quality Assurance (RAQ)  for the Pharmacy Course (2013-2023)
• vice-Chair of the Pharmacy Course (2020-2023)
• Member of the Examination Group for the Pharmacy course (2015-2023)
• Chairman of the Laurea Course "Scienze Erboristiche e dei Prodotti della Salute" (2007-2011) and coordinator of the Laurea Course “Scienze Farmaceutiche Applicate” (2009-2012)

TEACHING (University of Parma)

• Organic Chemistry I (CdLM CTF, 1999-2014); Chemistry of Naturally Occurring Compounds (CdL SEPS Course, 2001-2010), Advanced Organic Synthesis (CdLM CTF Course, 2004-2010 and 2013-2017), Organic Chemistry Basics/Organic Chemistry (Pharmacy Course, 2011-present), Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds (CdLM CTF, 2020-present), Natural Organic Compounds in Food (CdLM STA, 2021), Organic Chemistry (CdL STA, 2023-present)

SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS

The asymmetric synthesis of nature-inspired small molecules and their applications in the bio-organic and medicinal chemistry fields are Franca's main scientific interests. In particular, the following projects are currently pursued:

• Small Molecules & Nanomaterials Serving Bio-medicine. Focus of the research is the creation of novel peptidomimetic ligands and their covalent or nanosized conjugates (i.e. liposomes, gold nanoparticles) addressed at specific biological receptors (i.e. integrin receptors and tyrosine-kinase receptors) to be used for biomedical applications in the field of targeted anti-angiogenic, anti-tumor, and anti-fibrotic drugs or imaging tracers.
• New Methodologies in Asymmetric Synthesis Merging Selectivity and Molecular Diversity. Focus of the research is the design and development of new methods to selectively access collections of new natural or natural-like small molecules (mainly carbo- or heterocyclic) and their use as pharmaceutically and/or food relevant compounds. Main focus of the research is the design and synthesis of novel multi-site (pro)nucleophilic and (pro)electrophilic carbon matrices and their full exploitation in vinylogous and multivinylogous carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. In recent past years, application of the vinylogy concept in asymmetric synthesis enabled us to access diverse collections of high-quality small-molecule scaffolds and targets ranging from fused polycyclic rings, steroid-like structures, functionalized indoles and oxindoles, dihydrocarbazoles, gamma butenolides, pyrrolinones, gamma-valerolactones, fused uracils.
• Discovery and Application of New Radioactive Diagnostic Tools. Focus of the research is the development of new precursors available for the incorporation of radioactive isotopes to be used in the noninvasive early diagnosis of diseases including tumors and tumor-related inflammatory processes.