Curriculum

Curriculum vitae 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 February 2004-April 2005-Post Doctoral Fellowship (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA-USA, Tutor: Prof. Richard A. Glennon) PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE April 2002-February 2004: Fellowship -Assegno di ricerca- (Università degli Studi di Bari, Dipartimento Farmacochimico); April 2005-January 2009: Fellowship -Assegno di ricerca- (Università degli Studi di Bari, Dipartimento Farmacochimico); January-July 2008: Fulbright “Research Scholar” at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University), Richmond Virginia (USA); February 2009-February 2022: Assistant Professor (Università degli Studi di Bari, Dipartimento di Farmacia-Scienze del Farmaco); March 2017: National Scientific Habilitation as Associate Professor. March 2022 – to present: Associate Professor (Università degli Studi di Bari, Dipartimento di Farmacia-Scienze del Farmaco). May 2022 – to date: Affiliated with the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto di Cristallografia for the development of the project @CNR-DATIAMO. Grants/Fellowships 2007: Fulbright fellowship as Research Scholar for the “Identification of a sigma2 receptor pharmacophore”; 2009: Participant in PRIN ‘Characterization of sigma-2 receptor expression in cattle bladder and prostate through new radiotracers and fluorescent tracers’ (2009NB3E8M_002, 2 years PRIN) (2011- 2013); December 2011: Fellowship from Deutscher Akademisher Austausch Diensts-German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to participate to the 'Science tour 2011: Health Research in Germany'. 2012: Participant in P.O. Puglia FESR 2007-2013 Linea 1.2-Azione 1.2.4. ‘PROMISE’ 40NDK54 2012: Participant to P.O. Puglia FESR 2007-2013 Linea 1.4-Azione 1.4.2. “Living Labs SMARTPUGLIA 2020”; 2014: Participant in P.O. Puglia FESR 2007-2013 Linea 1.4-Azione 1.4.2. to support PMI “Living Labs SMARTPUGLIA 2020” 5BQM3Y5; 2015: Participant in P.O. Puglia “Cluster in Bioimaging” QYZCUM0 (2015-2017); 2016: Recipient of the 'Pharmabridge' project to support for innovation in teaching, from UNIBA; 2016: Recipient of MIUR FABR (to support base research); 2021: Participant in ‘GENESI- sviluppo di radiofarmaci e biomarker innovativi per la diagnosi dei tumori dell’apparato maschile e femminile’ co-financed by MISE; 2020: Participant in ‘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 – April 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 – to date: 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. Teaching Activity 2016 - to date: Professor for the ‘Analisi dei Medicinali II’ at the Department of Pharmacy- Pharmeceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Bari.