Postdocs
Contacts: chiara.vigato
+39 011 6707181
Research interests and expertise: Chiara’s research is dedicated to the in silico design (docking, molecular dynamics) and advanced organic synthesis of small heterocyclic-based molecules, targeting oncological diseases and Malaria.
Background and education. Chiara obtained a Master’s Degree with honors in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Torino, Department of Drug Science and Technology, in April 2020, with a Thesis focused on the application of a bioisosteric approach in the design of innovative inhibitors of Aldo-Keto Reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) to target prostate cancer. In November 2021, she was awarded with the Silver Medal of the University of Torino for her Master’s career (academic year 2018/2019). In October 2020 she started a Ph.D. program in Pharmaceutical and Biomolecular Science, at the Department of Drug Science and Technology (University of Torino). Chiara finally defended her Doctoral Thesis titled “Inhibition of Enzymes Involved in the Induction of Apoptosis and Differentiation as well as Drug-Resistance in Myeloid Leukemias” (tutor Prof. Boschi) in May 2024, achieving her Ph.D. with honors.
Publications (Sep 2024, Scopus).
Publications in peer-reviewed journals: 3
Scopus citations: 15
Oral presentations: 1
Flash communications: 3
Posters: 9
Covers: 1
Scopus ID: 58180374300
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7726-3162
Visiting research activities.
· Nov 2021 – Mar 2022 Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Analytical Instrumentation Unity, at the Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri (Milano); Development of new methods for the detection of hDHODH inhibitors metabolites after microsomal incubation (tutor: Dr. Bagnati).
· Mar 2022 – Jun 2022 Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances, Faculty of Pharmacy, at the University of Lublin (Poland); Development of new dual inhibitors of AKR1C3 and CYP17A1 to target prostate cancer (tutor: prof Wròbel).
· May 2023- Aug 2023 Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology of the University of Copenhagen; crystallization and x-ray structural analysis of complex of AKR1C3 enzyme and its inhibitors (tutor: Prof Mirza).
· Sep 2023- Dec 2023 Department of Pharmacy of the University of Pisa ; molecular modeling studies (docking evaluation, molecular dynamics, and binding free energy determination) of novel hDHODH inhibitors (tutor: Prof Tuccinardi).
Teaching activities. Chiara covered the role of assistant to the teaching activities of different DSTF and Chemistry department courses. In particular:
· June 2024 · “Path for Transversal Skills and Orientation (PTSO)” tutoring (40 h) - 1 high-school student from Liceo Classico Massimo D'Azeglio (Torino), activity title: “The process of drug development: from drug discovery to clinic"
· 2023-2024 “Laboratory Activities of Virtual Reality” (50 h) - Master’s degrees in Pharmacy and Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology - UniTo.
· 2023-2024 “Methods of Synthesis and Pharmaceutical Development” - Master’s degree in Chemistry (4 h),
· 2023-2024 “Drug Analysis II- Module I” (8 h) - Master’s degree of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology - UniTo.
· 2023-2024 “Drug Synthesis” (8 h) - Master’s degree of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology - UniTo.
· 2023-2024 “Laboratory of Advanced Drug Synthesis” (8 h) - Master’s degree of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology - UniTo.
· 2022-2023 "Exercitation of Food Chemistry and Phytopharmacy" (20 h) - Bachelor’s degree program of Herbal Products - UniTo
Department roles.
· Jan 2023 – to date Member of DSTF Public Engagement communication sub-commission (social media campaign of the Department).
· Mar 2022-Mar 2024 Ph.D. students’ representative at DSTF.
Contacts: e.martino@unito.it
+39 011 6707181
Elena Martino is a Postdoctoral researcher in Medicinal Chemistry (SSD: CHIM/08) at the Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Torino (Italy)
Background and education. Elena started her University career with a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology (University of Turin), followed by a single cycle degree in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology (University of Torino, Department of Drug Science and Technology), with a Thesis focused on the design of new radiotracers for the in vivo hDHODH investigation.
In October 2020 she started a double degree Ph.D. between the University of Turin (Pharmaceutical and Biomolecular Science doctoral school) and the University of Copenhagen (DRA doctoral school), which ended in May 2024, with a Doctoral Thesis titled “Exploring the 2-hydroxypyrazolo[1,5- a]pyridine core scaffold in the design of new ligands for biological application”, achieving her Ph.D. with honors.
Visiting research activities. As a part of a double degree Ph.D., Elena spent 13 months (01/10/2020-31/03/2021 and 2/02/2023-31/08/2023) at the University of Copenhagen, where she worked as a synthetic chemist on Medicinal Chemistry projects. During these months, she also supervised 4 Master's students and organized and taught an 8-hour workshop in “Advance Organic Chemistry”. Moreover, in the last year of PhD she spent 3 months in La Paz, Bolivia, in the research group of Alberto Gimenez, to increase her skills in natural product purification and characterization (04/204-07/2024).
Publications (July 2024, Scopus).
Publications in peer-reviewed journals: 3
Oral presentations: 1
Flash communications: 3
Posters: 5
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3697-6832
Teaching activities at University of Turin. Elena covered the role of assistant to the didactic activity for the course of "Laboratorory of Food Chemistry and Phytopharmacy" for the bachelor’s degree program of Herbal Products (year 2022-2023, 80 h) and “Laboratory Activities of Virtual Reality” (year 2023-2024, 50h) for the master’s degrees in Pharmacy and Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology. She also provided hours of assistance to the courses of “Methods of Synthesis and Pharmaceutical Development” for the master’s degree in Chemistry (4 h), as well as “Drug Analysis II- Module I” (8 h), “Drug Synthesis” (8vh) and “Laboratory of Advanced Drug Synthesis” (8 h) for the master’s degree of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology.