Pradip originates from Maharashtra, India. He received MSc in Organic Chemistry (2004) from the University of Pune. After completion of his master’s degree, he worked at Cipla Pharmaceuticals and Harman finochem Ltd as Process Development Chemist. In 2006, he joined the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at Piramal Life Sciences Ltd., Mumbai, India, where he worked on several medicinal chemistry projects. He worked on the design and synthesis of novel molecules for anticancer, anti-Inflammatory, and anti-tubercular agents. In 2010-2015, he completed his Ph.D. in Organic/ Medicinal Chemistry- Industrial collaboration with Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) Vellore, India under the supervision of Dr. S. Sarveswari and Dr. Abhijit Roychowdhury. His Ph.D. topic was “Design, Synthesis, and the Medicinal Chemistry Applications of Azaspiro Analogues.” After completion of Ph.D., he joined Piramal Critical Care Ltd, India, where he worked on process development of anesthetic API, fluorine-containing specialty chemicals, and vapor phase fluorination. Pradip is a drug hunter and takes a keen interest in every aspect of drug discovery with special emphasis on finding novel bio-isosteres by use of fluorine chemistry and azaspirocycles. He joined Prof. Pollastri’s research group in March. 2021 and working on the design and synthesis of novel heterocyclic compounds for Neglected Tropical Diseases.
 

Vinayak Hanchate

Vinayak is originally from Karnataka, India. After obtaining his Master’s degree from Karnatak University, Dharwad, India, in 2013. He joined Dr. Reddy’s Pharmacietical Laboratories Ltd. in 2015 as a process development chemist. Later, he obtained his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, under the supervision of Prof. K. R. Prabhu in 2021. His Ph. D. research involves sulfoximine, and sulfoxonium ylide directed C-H activation and cascade annulation reactions. He joined Prof. Pollastri’s research group in August 2021 and working on the development of small-molecule inhibitors against neglected tropical diseases.
 

Maria Dichiara

Maria is originally from Sicily. She studied Pharmacy at the University of Catania. During her undergraduate studies, she also spent a period within the laboratory UMR 8638 COMETE at the Paris Descartes University, working on a multidisciplinary project combining both natural product isolation and semi-synthesis of a new series of aucubin derivatives. In November 2017, she started her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at the University of Catania under the supervision of Professor Emanuele Amata. Her research was focused on the design, synthesis and preclinical evaluation of novel ligands for sigma receptors. During her second year of Ph.D. she moved to the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences at the ETH of Zurich under the supervision of Professor Dario Neri. She worked on the development of novel small molecules for human tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein 1. She completed her Ph.D. in March 2021. Maria joined the Pollastri Group in November 2021 to work on the development of novel small molecules for neglected tropical diseases.

Graduate Students