Present: Research Fellow
(Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Unibo, Bologna, Italy)
Currently working on homology modeling and protein-protein docking to study proteins related to Autism Spectrum Disorder, aiming to reveal key molecular insights.
2020 - 2023: PhD student
(INM-9 Forschungszentrum Jülich and Faculty I, RWTH Aachen, Germany)
Thesis title: Identification of Voltage-gated sodium channels-variants-selective inhibitors Funding: IZKF RWTH Aachen University (TN1-4/IA 532004) and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (368482240/GRK2416)
My research primarily focused on the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7, which plays a crucial role in pain and smell perception. Mutations in this channel can lead to pain disorders and anosmia. To investigate the interactions between drugs and Nav1.7 at a molecular level, I employed various computational tools such as Molecular Dynamics simulations, Free Energy Calculations, and Molecular Docking. The main objective of my work is to understand the behaviour of the mutated channel in its functional states and identify potential drug candidates.
2017 - 2020: Master’s degree - Faculty of Farmacy and Biotechnology
(University of Bologna, Italy and Free University of Bozen, Italy)
Final degree mark: 110/110 cum laude
Thesis title: Computational and experimental screening of new inhibitors for AmsI, a protein tyrosine phosphatase of E. amylovora
In my thesis, I used computational and in vitro techniques to discover compounds that inhibit the secretion of amylovoran, a crucial exopolysaccharide for E. amylovora infection in apple cultivars.
2014 - 2017 Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology
(University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy and University of Barcelona, Spain)
Final degree mark: 110/110 cum laude
Dissertation title: Report on Antisense oligonucleotide therapy for spinocerebellar ataxia type 2
