The third Innovation Talk of the autumn cycle will host Andrea Cavalli, Professor in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Bologna and Head of CompuNet, Italian Institute of Technology of Genova. The event is organized in collaboration with Philip Morris Italia.
Computational Drug Discovery is the title of the lecture intended to deepen the knowledge about the modern practice of using computational methods to accelerate the processes of discovery and development of new drugs and make them more productive. This has been made possible by the increasing availability of information on the molecules involved in the application area and the progress of the used methods and calculation tools.
To date, this methodology is applied to all new drug production workflows and specifically to the subsequent stages of: target identification and validation, lead discovery and optimization and preclinical tests. During the Innovation Talk, the various methods of computing drug discovery will be illustrated, together with their implications of the organization’s approach to the processes involved. The theme will be discussed with Marco Roccetti, Associate Dean for Digital Technologies di BBS and Professor of Computer Sciences, University of Bologna.
Professor Andrea Cavalli deals with the development of theoretical methods and application of computational tools in life sciences and drug discovery. This research has led to the development of innovative algorithms for the study and characterization of biological systems and drug-receptor interactions. In addition, within interdisciplinary projects, this research activity has led to the discovery of many biologically active molecules in different therapeutic areas: Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and forgotten tropical diseases.
The scientific activity so far has been documented by over 190 articles, published in prestigious scientific journals; by several international patents (PCTs); by numerous communications (of which over 100 by invitation) at national and international congresses and prestigious foreign institutions.
In addition to many other prestigious nominations, Prof. Cavalli is a referee for MiUR (PRIN and FIRB projects), the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP), the Austrian Science Fund, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Israel Science Foundation, the French National Foundation, and for the American Alzheimer’s Association. Since 2007, he has been a Managing Editor for the Frontiers magazine in Biosciences and is part of the editorial board of the MedChemComm (RSC) journals, The Open Applied Informatics Journal, World Journal of Translational Medicine and the World Journal of Neuroscience. In 2012 he was appointed member of the Scientific Council of CINECA. He is a national coordinator of a PRIN 2010/2011 project and received 2 PRACE-FP7 grants and 2 grant DEISA as PI. In 2014, he received funding from the Italian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as a PI.
The event, dedicated to the BBS Community, will be held in Italian and English language with simultaneous translation. In order to participate, it is necessary to register at bbscommunity.com.
