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Dr Salvatore Ferla

Dr Salvatore Ferla

Senior Lecturer
Pharmacy
Office - 256
First Floor
Grove Building
Singleton Campus
Available For Postgraduate Supervision

About

Salvatore is Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the new-born MPharm course within Swansea University Medical School. After a brief experience in a pharmaceutical company working on a GMP environment, Salvatore obtained his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry at the Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, working on a 4-year CRUK-funded project. Since then he has focused his research in the in silico design and chemical synthesis of new small-molecules with potential biological activities, including new anticancer, antiviral and anthelmintic agents. In 2015 Salvatore was appointed as co-responsible of the WCADD Molecular Modelling Platform and during this period he actively participated in more than 40 research projects, involving both academic and small biotech research groups from all around the world. In 2018, he was awarded the prestigious SÊR CYMRU Individual Research Fellowship, to work on the development of novel small-molecules as potential immunomodulators for the treatment of different cancers. Since 2008, Salvatore is a registered Pharmacist in Italy

Areas Of Expertise

  • • In silico drug design
  • • Molecular Modelling
  • • Synthetic organic chemistry
  • • Medicinal Chemistry
  • • Anticancer and Immunotherapy
  • • Antivirals

Career Highlights

Research

Salvatore has more than ten years of experience in the application of computer-aided methodologies to identify new active small molecules starting from a biological target. Some of his current research projects include:

-Design and synthesis of novel small-molecule immune-checkpoint inhibitors to treat cancer

-Development of novel antivirals for a range of viral diseases, including human norovirus and coronaviruses

-Design and synthesis of novel small-molecules against different biological targets as potential anticancer treatments.

Collaborations