DE LUCA Laura

Dr. Laura De Luca is Full Professor in Medicinal Chemistry at the Department of CHIBIOFARAM of University of Messina, Italy. She graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology with honours at the same University in 1999. While preparing her thesis she spent a period at the University of Bergen, Norway. Her thesis received “Gaetano Martino” award from Kiwanis Club (Messina).
She got her PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the Messina University in 2003. During this period she carried out part of her research at University of Düsseldorf, Germany and at Perugia University. She received a “Bonino-Pulejo" research grant to work at the Milan University for one year (2003). Since 2003 she has continued her work at Medicinal Chemistry Department of Messina University in different positions:
2003-07:research collaborator.
2007-08:research fellow position with the FIRB project on "Development and application of highly innovative and efficient technologies for the synthesis of new molecules and their biological evaluation on membrane proteins involved in neuronal damage".
2008-09:post-doctorate position
She received "best poster award" at MGMS Annual International Meeting 2002-Biomolecular Interactions (Bristol, UK) and at the European School of Medicinal Chemistry (2002, Urbino, Italy). She also received University of Messina award as “Young researcher 2007” for her research activity.
She is member of research programs of national and European interest and referee of international journals.
Her main research interests are directed to drug design and synthesis of new molecules active into the following fields:
° antiviral agents as RT and IN HIV inhibitors;
° carbonic anydrase inhibitors;
° neuroprotective agents.
To date her scientific production consists of 83 papers, all published in international journals, more that 100 communications presented at international congresses and of a chapter published in Burger's Medicinal Chemistry "Drug discovery and development", 7th ed.- Wiley (2010). (h-index=27, Sum of the Times Cited= 2096)
RESEARCH PROJECTS:
Member of co-financed research project:
1)7th Framework Programme Integrated Projects Project number: HEALTH-F3-2008-201032 – Targeting HIV Integration co-factors (THINC) - Project Period: 01.01.2008 - 30.06.2012
2)6th Framework Programme Integrated Projects Project number: LSHB-CT-2003-503480 – Targeting Replication and Integration of HIV (TRIoH) - Project Period: 01.01.2004 - 30.06.2007
3)Finanziamenti per la Ricerca di Base (FIRB 2003) - Programmi Strategici (Programma triennale): Sviluppo ed applicazione di tecnologie altamente innovative ed efficienti per la sintesi di nuove molecole con dimostrazione della loro attività biologica su proteine di membrana implicate nel danno cerebrale. Decorrenza: 12/09/2005 - Termine: 12/09/2008
4)Research Projets of National Interest (PRIN) :
2002 - Molecular Modeling, design e sintesi di potenziali agenti anti-AIDS
2004 - Molecular Modeling, design e sintesi di potenziali agenti anti-AIDS
2006 - Progettazione razionale e sintesi di modulatori negativi dei recettori AMPA e NMDA
5)Interdisciplinar Research Projet (PRA 2002)
6)Interdisciplinar Research Projet (PRA 2003)

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATIONS:
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacobiologiche - Università Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy
- Istituto di Chimica Farmaceutica e Tossicologica - Università degli Studi di Milano
-Dipartimento di Chimica Inorganica, Chimica Analitica e Chimica Fisica, Università di Messina, Italy
-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Genetica Molecolare, Pavia
-Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologia del Farmaco - Università di Perugia
-Rega Institute, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium
-Institut für Pharmazeutische Chemie Heinrich Heine, Universität Düsseldorf, Germany
-Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, TX, USA
-Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Catania, Italy
-Dept. of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy


COMPUTER KNOW-HOW
Familiar with general computational chemistry such as Gromacs, GRID, Sybyl, AutoDock, InsightII, Vega and others.

MEMBER OF
Società Chimica Italiana (SCI), Molecular Graphics Modelling Society (MGMS)