A Management Team with a Passion for Drug Discovery
Who better to manage your critical projects than our highly experienced Management Team with:
- Top-tier pharma training
- Extensive experience in high profile therapeutic areas
- Experienced in international project coordination
- Experienced in business management
Our Management Team
Dr. Giuseppe Giardina
Giuseppe is our Chief Executive Officer. Combining more than 25 years of research and management experience in the pharmaceutical industry, he delivers impressive scientific and organizational skills to the company that facilitates the complex workflow involved in leading edge drug discovery. He is well recognized as an expert in the opioid and tachykinin receptors, which are implicated in the acute and chronic pain and inflammation therapeutic areas. Previously he was an Associate Director and Head of Medicinal Chemistry for SmithKline Beecham Italy. He obtained his Doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Milan in 1983.
Dr. Roderick (Rod) Porter
Rod is our Director of Business Development. His role is to represent NiKem Research in the business community, while actively searching for new clients and growth opportunities for the company. He was formerly a medicinal chemist and Senior Research Leader at GlaxoSmithKline where he successfully led a multidisciplinary team in the identification of prelinical candidate molecules. Specific and recent areas of research there included the identification of the first orexin receptor antagonists, glycine transport inhibitors for the treatment of schizophrenia and the understanding of drug distribution in the CNS. He received his doctorate in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from Imperial College London in 1983
Dr. Massimo Dondio
Massimo is our Director of Computational, Structural & Developability Sciences. Massimo brings more than 20 years of pharmaceutical experience and valuable crossover skills to the company, including expertise in medicinal chemistry and computational chemistry, as well as solid experience in structural chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmacology. Massimo acquired a worldwide reputation as a leading expert in the area of delta opioid analgesics. Previously he was an Assistant Director within SmithKline Beecham Italy. He received his Doctorate in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Milan in 1986.
Dr. Stefania Gagliardi
Stefania is one of our two Directors of Medicinal Chemistry. She brings more than 25 years of medicinal chemistry experience into the company, as well as expertise in cardiovascular, CNS and bone disease therapeutic areas. In the latter, Stefania acquired a worldwide reputation as an expert in osteoclast ATPase inhibitors. Previously she was an Assistant Director in SmithKline Beecham Italy. Stefania received her Doctorate in Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Technologies from the University of Milan in 1982.
Dr. Paola Petrillo
Paola is our Director of Biological Screening. Paola brings more than 25 years of biological pharmacology experience to the company. Her expertise in drug discovery includes in vitro and in vivo experimentation and excellent knowledge of automation techniques for drug screening using robotic work stations. She is well-recognized for her expertise in opioid receptors. Previously she was a Senior Investigator within SmithKline Beecham Italy. Paola received her Doctorate in Biological Science from the University of Milan in 1983.
Dr. Luca Raveglia
Luca is one of our two Directors of Medicinal Chemistry. With almost 20 years of experience, he combines expertise in medicinal chemistry, molecular modeling and high-throughput combinatorial chemistry. Previously he was a Senior Investigator for SmithKline Beecham Italy, where he successfully implemented combinatorial chemistry technologies. Luca received his Doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Milan in 1991.
Mr. Mario Trotti
Mario is our Accounting Administrator and oversees most of the general administrative functions. He has over 30 years of accounting and managerial experince in the pharmaceutical industry and has previously worked with Sterling and Smithkline Beecham Italy.