01/03/2023- to date

Associate Professor

University of Florence Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Area and Child Health (NEUROFARBA). (IT)

01/03/2020 to 28/02/2023

Assistant Professor tenure track (RTD-b)

University of Florence Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Area and Child Health (NEUROFARBA). (IT)

01/03/2018-29/02/2020

Junior Assistant Professor (RTD-a)

University of Florence Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Area and Child Health (NEUROFARBA). (IT)

01/07/2016 – 30/06/2017

Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Florence Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Area and Child Health (NEUROFARBA). (IT)

▪  Research activities within the field of drug Design Medicinal Chemistry

01/09/2015-11/12/2015

Lecturer

University of New Haven, Tagliatela College of Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Meadow Campus.

▪  Teaching activities in Theoretical Chemistry and applied organics synthesis; General Organic and Inorganic Chemistry

01/03/2010 - 31/06/2016

Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Florence-Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff". (IT)

▪  Research activities within the field of drug Design Medicinal Chemistry

01/11/2008-29/02/2009

Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Florence-Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff". (IT)

Research activities within the field of drug Design Medicinal Chemistry

01/01/2008 - 31/10/2008

Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Sassari (IT)

▪  Research activities within the field of drug Design Medicinal Chemistry

Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Design, Development of modulators of metalloenzymes of biomedical interest

01/02/2007 - 22/12/2007

Postdoctoral Fellow

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, USA)-Department of Chemistry.

▪  Research activities within the synthesis of complex organic molecules of natural origin

Drug Design, Advanced organic synthesis

2004-2007

PhD in Chemistry

University of Bristol, School of Chemistry (UK)

Synthesis and identification in NMR-solution of Cationic species. Mechanistic studies on Prins- and Prins-type reactions

2002

Degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies

University of Sassari (IT) (110/110 with honors)

Mother tongue(s)

Italian

Other language(s)

English (Full Professional Proficiency); French (Full Professional Proficiency); Spanish (Professional Working Proficiency); German (Professional Working Proficiency); Greek (Elemental Proficiency)

Digital skills

Full Professional Proficiency of all softwares dedicated to database search (i.e. biology, chemistry, crystallography)

Other skills

The main research areas of Expertise include:

1) Design and synthesis of products (of natural and / or synthetic origin) with biological activity:

i) Modulators of the metalloenzymes Carbonic Anhydrases; ii) Reversible Inhibitors of the Protein Arginine Deiminase 4 (PAD4) and iii) Inhibitors of the HIV-1 Integrase enzyme.

2) Study of the properties and mechanisms of action at the molecular level of synthetic or natural products with biological activity:

i) New classes of Carbonic Anhydrase inhibitors (i.e. DTCs, MTCs, Thiooxocoumarins, polyamines)

ii) Development of new probes of the HIV-1 Integrase based on the diketoacid moiety

3) Study of the relationships between chemical structure and biological activity of some classes of drugs, such as antiglaucoma, antiobesity, antitumor and antiviral drugs:

i) Antitumor agents. Among various experimental compounds under development a selective CA IX inhibitor is currently under Phase II clinical trials for the management of pancreatic cancers (i.e. SLC.0111). This compounds recently showed an unprecedently reported mechanism on ferroptosis regulation on tumoral cells.

ii) proof-of-concept studies identify carbonic anhydrase inhibitors as potential agents that can be used for the treatment of cerebral ischemia, neuropathic pain and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

iii) Antiglaucoma drugs. Studies of chemical structure - biological activity relationships for different chemical classes of compounds as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors involved in the formation of aqueous humor in the eye.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Publications

Author/co-author >290 scientific articles in peer-reviewed international journals and 12 book chapters,

 5 WO patents

- Hirsch Index is 59 with >12000 citations (source Scopus)

- Hirsch index is 63 with >13000 citations (source Scholar)

01/03/2023- to date

Associate Professor

University of Florence Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Area and Child Health (NEUROFARBA). (IT)

01/03/2020 to 28/02/2023

Assistant Professor tenure track (RTD-b)

University of Florence Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Area and Child Health (NEUROFARBA). (IT)

01/03/2018-29/02/2020

Junior Assistant Professor (RTD-a)

University of Florence Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Area and Child Health (NEUROFARBA). (IT)

01/07/2016 – 30/06/2017

Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Florence Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Area and Child Health (NEUROFARBA). (IT)

▪  Research activities within the field of drug Design Medicinal Chemistry

01/09/2015-11/12/2015

Lecturer

University of New Haven, Tagliatela College of Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Meadow Campus.

▪  Teaching activities in Theoretical Chemistry and applied organics synthesis; General Organic and Inorganic Chemistry

01/03/2010 - 31/06/2016

Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Florence-Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff". (IT)

▪  Research activities within the field of drug Design Medicinal Chemistry

01/11/2008-29/02/2009

Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Florence-Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff". (IT)

Research activities within the field of drug Design Medicinal Chemistry

01/01/2008 - 31/10/2008

Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Sassari (IT)

▪  Research activities within the field of drug Design Medicinal Chemistry

Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Design, Development of modulators of metalloenzymes of biomedical interest

01/02/2007 - 22/12/2007

Postdoctoral Fellow

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, USA)-Department of Chemistry.

▪  Research activities within the synthesis of complex organic molecules of natural origin

Drug Design, Advanced organic synthesis

2004-2007

PhD in Chemistry

University of Bristol, School of Chemistry (UK)

Synthesis and identification in NMR-solution of Cationic species. Mechanistic studies on Prins- and Prins-type reactions

2002

Degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies

University of Sassari (IT) (110/110 with honors)

Mother tongue(s)

Italian

Other language(s)

English (Full Professional Proficiency); French (Full Professional Proficiency); Spanish (Professional Working Proficiency); German (Professional Working Proficiency); Greek (Elemental Proficiency)

Digital skills

Full Professional Proficiency of all softwares dedicated to database search (i.e. biology, chemistry, crystallography)

Other skills

The main research areas of Expertise include:

1) Design and synthesis of products (of natural and / or synthetic origin) with biological activity:

i) Modulators of the metalloenzymes Carbonic Anhydrases; ii) Reversible Inhibitors of the Protein Arginine Deiminase 4 (PAD4) and iii) Inhibitors of the HIV-1 Integrase enzyme.

2) Study of the properties and mechanisms of action at the molecular level of synthetic or natural products with biological activity:

i) New classes of Carbonic Anhydrase inhibitors (i.e. DTCs, MTCs, Thiooxocoumarins, polyamines)

ii) Development of new probes of the HIV-1 Integrase based on the diketoacid moiety

3) Study of the relationships between chemical structure and biological activity of some classes of drugs, such as antiglaucoma, antiobesity, antitumor and antiviral drugs:

i) Antitumor agents. Among various experimental compounds under development a selective CA IX inhibitor is currently under Phase II clinical trials for the management of pancreatic cancers (i.e. SLC.0111). This compounds recently showed an unprecedently reported mechanism on ferroptosis regulation on tumoral cells.

ii) proof-of-concept studies identify carbonic anhydrase inhibitors as potential agents that can be used for the treatment of cerebral ischemia, neuropathic pain and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

iii) Antiglaucoma drugs. Studies of chemical structure - biological activity relationships for different chemical classes of compounds as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors involved in the formation of aqueous humor in the eye.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Publications

Author/co-author >290 scientific articles in peer-reviewed international journals and 12 book chapters,

 5 WO patents

- Hirsch Index is 59 with >12000 citations (source Scopus)

- Hirsch index is 63 with >13000 citations (source Scholar)