Sabrina CASTELLANO | Curriculum

Degree/Qualification

Jul 1995: Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, summa cum laude, University of Trieste, Italy;
Jan 1999 Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, University of Milan, Italy.

Employment (present and previous positions held)

Jan 1999 - Sept 2001: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy;

Oct 2001 - Sept 2004: Assistant Professor, Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy;

Mar 2003 - Sep 2004: visiting scientist at il Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA;

Oct 2004 - Nov 2014: Assistant Professor, Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Salerno, Italy;

Dec 2014 - Nov 2017: Associate Professor, Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Italy;

Dec 2017 - Sept 2022: Associate Professor, Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Italy;

Oct 2022 - Today: Full Professor, Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Italy;

Institutional and Organizational Roles

2010 - 2013: Member of Teaching Committee of Degree Course in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Salerno;

2013 - 2019: Coordinator of Teaching Committee of Degree Course in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology;

2019 - 2022: Head of Quality Assurance of Degree Course in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology;

2022 - Today: President of Degree Course in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology.

Teaching
Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Receptor Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry of Radiodrugs.

Research

The scientific activity of Sabrina Castellano shows her experience in drug design, synthesis and application of modern biomolecular and biophysical approaches to study the different aspects of target – ligand interactions. She has a long expertise in the development of advanced procedures for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds to be used in drug discovery projects (classical synthesis in batch as well as microwave assisted synthesis, solid phase synthesis, flow chemistry) as well in the design and biological evaluation of small-molecule modulators of drug target. This let to establish productive collaborations with biologist, pharmacologist and clinicians in the medicinal chemistry field. Several groups are using small molecules developed in her laboratory in preclinical studies and/or chemical probes.

Sabrina Castellano research interests span in various medicinal chemistry fields, and they focus on:

• Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of small-molecule modulators of epigenetic enzymes (focusing on DNA methyltransferase, protein methyltransferases, protein demethylases, of histone deacetylases, histone acetyl transferases) and epigenetic reader domains of proteins
• Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of heterocyclic compounds active in the nervous system (focusing on modulators of Translocator 18 kDa Protein (TSPO) and, recently, GSK3β inhibitors as multitarget directed ligands for the putative polypharmacological approach in neurodegeneration).
• Development of advanced procedures for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds to be used in drug discovery projects (Classical synthesis in batch as well as microwave assisted synthesis, solid phase synthesis, flow chemistry).
• Application of modern biomolecular and biophysical approaches (with particular reference to Surface Plasmon Resonance and fluorescence based methods as AlphaLISA, AlphaScreen, FRET, TR-FRET assays) to study the different aspects of protein–ligand interactions.