Curriculum

Narrative CV I graduated from the University of Bari (Uniba) in November 1998 with summa cum laude in pharmaceutical chemistry. Driven by a strong passion in Medicinal Chemistry, I enrolled in the PhD program at Uniba, with a fellowship to support my studies. During the three-year PhD program, I deepened my interest in Sigma Receptors (SRs), working within the research group that developed PB28, one of the highest-affinity SRs ligands that is commercially available as a reference ligand from various companies. Throughout my PhD, I participated in several conferences, with posters on my research into PB28 analogues and with my final research presented as a selected oral communication at one of the largest conferences for National PhD students (now named European School of Medicinal Chemistry ESMEC). In February 2002, I defended my PhD thesis and was subsequently hired as a researcher on a two-year contract at the same department. With the willingness to broaden my experience in medicinal chemistry, I applied for a postdoctoral position in USA at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), in the laboratory of Prof. Richard Glennon, one of the leading experts in medicinal chemistry, particularly in the fields of serotonin and SRs. I joined his lab in 2004 under a one-year contract, which was renewed in 2005, cultivating the passion for rational, structure-driven drug design, shaping my critical thinking and experimental approach to research. Despite another renewal of the contract in Glennon’s lab, I started a four-year fellowship in Italy, focusing on drug development of ligands mainly for SRs. I remained deeply committed to advancing knowledge about SRs and successfully applied for a six-month Fulbright Research Scholarship. From January to June 2008, I returned to Dr. Glennon’s laboratory as a Fulbright Research Scholar, where I gained expertise in molecular modeling techniques which proved useful in identifying the sigma-2 receptor (S2R) pharmacophore and advancing efforts to elucidate the receptor itself, which was still enigmatic at the time. During this period, I presented the findings from my projects at several conferences in the US, culminating in a final seminar at VCU and some papers co-authored with Prof. Glennon. In January 2009, I won the competition as a tenure-track researcher and assistant professor at Uniba. Since then, I have taught courses for Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacy students and co-led the drug discovery laboratory alongside Prof. Berardi, with our research mainly focused on the development of SRs ligands. In December 2011, I was awarded a short-term fellowship by the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), which gave me the opportunity to visit several German research institutions and engage with scientists, establishing collaborations that led to interdisciplinary projects. These collaborations played a key role in validating S2R fluorescent ligands and partially uncovering the sigma-1 receptor (S1R) mechanism of action in microglia, offering valuable insights into its function. This experience, along with my time at VCU, has strongly influenced my commitment to fostering collaboration with scientists from diverse fields. It has reinforced my belief in the immense value of multidisciplinary projects and their potential to drive impactful discoveries. Such belief has culminated into the coordination of international networks such as the ‘Sigma-1 Europe’ COST Action (CA23156). Currently Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, Uniba, in June 2024 I was habilitated as Full Professor in Medicinal Chemistry by ASN. At the department where I am currently affiliated, I co-lead a drug discovery laboratory and I am continuing my dedication to teaching (‘Analisi dei Medicinali II’ course) and research, focusing mainly to SRs, P-glycoprotein and cannabinoid-type 2 receptor (CB2R) as therapeutic and diagnostic targets. At the same department, from 2017 I serve as Delegate of the Job placement. EDUCATION: November 1998: Degree in Medicinal Chemistry (Università degli Studi di Bari) February 2002: Ph.D., Medicinal Chemistry (Dipartimento Farmacochimico, Università degli Studi di Bari); July 2006: Specialist in Hospital Pharmacy. POST-GRADUATE TRAINING 2004-2005 Post Doctoral Fellowship (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA-USA, Tutor: Prof. Richard A. Glennon) GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS 2002-2004: Fellowship -Assegno di ricerca- (Università degli Studi di Bari, Dipartimento Farmacochimico); 2007: Fulbright fellowship as Research Scholar for the “Identification of a sigma2 receptor pharmacophore”; 2006-2009: Fellowship -Assegno di ricerca- (Università degli Studi di Bari, Dipartimento Farmacochimico); December 2011: Fellowship from Deutscher Akademisher Austausch Diensts-German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) 'Science tour 2011: Health Research in Germany'; 2016: Recipient of the 'Pharmabridge' project to support for innovation in teaching, from UNIBA; 2016: Recipient of MIUR FABR (to support base research); 2009-2021: Participants to the following project: PRIN ‘Characterization of sigma-2 receptor expression in cattle bladder and prostate through new radiotracers and fluorescent tracers’ (2009NB3E8M_002, 2 years PRIN); P.O. Puglia FESR 2007-2013 Linea 1.2-Azione 1.2.4. ‘PROMISE’ 40NDK54; P.O. Puglia FESR 2007-2013 Linea 1.4-Azione 1.4.2. “Living Labs SMARTPUGLIA 2020”; P.O. Puglia FESR 2007-2013 Linea 1.4-Azione 1.4.2. to support PMI “Living Labs SMARTPUGLIA 2020” BQM3Y5; P.O. Puglia “Cluster in Bioimaging” QYZCUM0 (2015-2017); ‘GENESI- sviluppo di radiofarmaci e biomarker innovativi per la diagnosi dei tumori dell’apparato maschile e femminile’ co-financed by MISE; 2020: Recipient of ‘COVID Emergency Response grant’ granted from ‘Institut Pasteur’; 2021: Recipient of Grant 2021-ZX-581 from ZOGENIX company; 2021-to date: Participant in the project ‘Development of A Technological platform for the Identification of s1R Allosteric Modulators with potent SARS-CoV-2 antiviral activity’ (Acronym: DATIAMO) granted at CNR (@CNR); 2022–2024: Key Area Person for the project ‘Nuove strategie per la prevenzione di tumori mammari legati a mutazioni BRAC1 e BRCA2’ Horizon Europe Seeds call, granted by UNIBA; 2022–2026: Coordinator of Research Unit (RU) in the project “Development of Broad-spectrum Coronavirus antiviral agents acting as allosteric modulators of the host protein SIGMA-1” PRIN-2022 (PROGETTI DI RICERCA DI RILEVANTE INTERESSE NAZIONALE) - 2022Z3BBPE; 2026-2029: European Rare diseases research alliance (ERDERA) 2025 co-granted by Telethon - Italian PI of the project “Preclinical validation of a novel drug for treating Wolfram syndrome and Type 2A Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease”. NETWORKING and AFFILIATIONS 2024-to date: Working Group 1 leader (Drug Design) for COST Action 23156: European Network for S1R Receptor as a Therapeutic Opportunity (Sigma-1 EUROPE); Management Committee (MC) member representing Italy (https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA23156). 2017-2023: participation/coordination of international networks MC member of the Esteve-Sponsored Sigma-1 initiative and the Cognition Therapeutics S2R network, contributing to the organization of focused symposia. 2022 – 2025: Affiliated with the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto di Cristallografia for the development of the project @CNR-DATIAMO. TEACHING ACTIVITY 2016-to date: Professor for the ‘Analisi dei Medicinali II’ at the Department of Pharmacy- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Bari. 2024-to date: Professor for the Short Master “High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) at the Department of Pharmacy- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Bari.