Short presentation

What if we degrade an unwanted protein instead of only blocking its function?

A variety of innovative chemical technologies (e.g. PROTACs) provide this opportunity, enabling novel therapeutic modalities based on Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD).

Primary fields of research

Development of PROTACs for CNS targets.

My main research interest is to develop PROTACs and other types of targeted protein degraders for removing targets overexpressed in CNS diseases and to ultimately overcome the limitations of traditional inhibitors.

We use a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach that combines structure-based drug design, chemical synthesis, biochemical characterization and cell-based assays to ultimately develop the intended PROTACs.

Development of small molecular probes for CNS targets.

We develop fluorescent probes to enable biochemical and cell-based library screening, that we combine with virtual screening to identify novel binders of CNS targets.

CV

Education:

2019: PhD in "Pharmaceutical Sciences - Subtype-selective Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonists and Antagonists", University of Milan, Italy; Supervisors: Professor Cristiano Bolchi and Professor Marco Pallavicini. 

2015: MSc in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies (medicinal chemistry profile), University of Milan, Italy

Positions:

2023-: Assistant Professor in Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen.

2019-2023: Postdoc in the Frølund group, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen 

Awards & Honors:

2022: Lundbeck Foundation Experiment research grant recipient

2020: Finalist of the “Merck Innovation Cup 2020” (team Drug Busters)

2019: Lundbeck Foundation Post Doc grant recipient as Principal Investigator (DKK 1.600.000)

2019: Runner-up for the SCI prize “best PhD thesis in medicinal chemistry”

2013: ERASMUS + traineeship scholarship for a research sememster in Bayer, Leverkusen, Germany