Affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies

Address:   University of Naples Federico II - Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy

Phone    +39081679896
Email    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Nationality    Italian

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND WORK EXPERIENCE:
1997 Master’s degree in Chemistry, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
1999–2002 PhD degree in Drug Sciences, University of Naples Federico II
2004–2016 Tenured researcher, University of Naples Federico II
2008 Visiting researcher at “Mass Spectrometry Laboratory”, Department of Chemistry, University of Liege, Belgium
2014 Visiting researcher at “ImmunoViroTherapy Laboratory”, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Finland
2014 Visiting professor at Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki
2016–2023 Associate professor, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
2023 Full professor, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
2019 to date Member of the Coordination Committee of the Joint Research Unit Infrastructure for System Biology Europe ISBE-IT
2017–2022 Member of Board of Directors of “Gruppo Interdivisionale di Biotecnologie”, Italian Chemical Society (SCI)
2023–2025 Member Coordinator of “Gruppo Interdivisionale di Biotecnologie”, Italian Chemical Society (SCI)

SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION AND PROJECTS
Author of more than 120 publications in international peer-reviewed journals. h-index 29 (ca.1900 citations).
ORCID: 0000-0003-0765-2127.
In the last five years recipient of more than € 1,500,000 in funds as Principal Investigator for academic and industrial projects.

INDICATORS OF ESTEEM
Editorial Board member of Molecules (MDPI); Guest editor of several special issues of Molecules (MDPI), Frontiers in Chemistry (Frontiers Media S.A.), Marine Drugs (MDPI);
2019–2023 Invited lecturer at Fondazione Collegio Europeo di Parma, University Master’s degree in Advanced European Studies (DAES), Parma (Italy);
2022 Invited lecturer at LUISS University in Rome (Italy).
2023–2026 Member of the Italian National Committee at the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

COMMISSIONS OF TRUST
2015 External Evaluator for “Consolidate the foundations 2015” project, University of Rome Tor Vergata; 2016 PhD External Examiner within the “Comité de these” at the Muséum National d’Hystoire Naturelle, Paris, France; PhD External Examiner at Universities of Catania (2019,2023), Parma (2021)and Salerno (2023) Italy; 2022 External Evaluator of research projects at University of Parma and Catania; 2022 to date Board member of the PhD course in “Biotechnologies”, University of Naples Federico II; 2023 External Evaluator for the “Innovation and Technology Support Program - ITSP”, Hong Kong.

ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
Member of scientific and organizing committees of the following: 2013 to date “International Summer School on Natural Products” (issnpschool.org) (five editions); 2018 to date Workshop “I chimici per le biotecnologie” (five editions); 2019 Symposium “Towards Novel Anticancer Strategies: It’s Time to Build a New Research Community” and 2019 Symposium “Novel Strategies in Anticancer Therapy and Diagnostics”.

PRINCIPAL FIELDS OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST
Synthesis and characterization of nucleoside and nucleotide analogues; design and structural studies on DNA G-quadruplexes; design and synthesis of peptide nucleic acids as new informational drugs; post-SELEX optimization of DNA and RNA aptamers; immobilization of nucleic acid probes on porous silica supports for theranostics applications; studies of interaction between nucleic acids and small molecules from the world of natural products.