Gabriella Roda

Biography

Gabriella Roda was born in Milan on 30/10/1970, she got her diploma at the “Liceo Scientifico B. Pascal” in Milan in 1989 (score: 60/60) and she graduated in Chemistry at the University of Milan in 1995 (score:110/110) discussing a thesis titled “Molecular recognition of sugars by means of the proteolytic enzyme Subtilisin”. In February 2000 she discussed her Ph.D. thesis titled “C-C bonds formation catalyzed by enzymes” at the University of Milan. The experimental work concerning the thesis was carried out in collaboration with the “Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare”-CNR. In 2000 she got a position at the “Istituto di Chimica Farmaceutica e Tossicologica” of the University of Milan on a project titled “Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of new AMPA and KAINATO agonists useful as neuroprotective agents”. Since 2/12/2002 she has been research scientist at the faculty of Pharmacy and in 2005 she was confirmed in this role. Since 2003 she has been teaching in the course of “Laboratory of Synthetic and Extractive Preparations of Drugs” and she carried out exercitations for the courses of “Analysis of Drugs” and “Pharmaceutical Stereochemistry”. She is member of the examination commissions of the course of “Analysis of Drugs”, “Pharmaceutical Stereochemistry” and “Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry”. In 2013 and 2015 she has also been teaching in the course of “Chemical and Toxicological Analysis” of the Faculty of Pharmacy. Gabriella Roda has tutored several students in the experimental work for the preparation of their thesis of Laurea and she is also tutor of a Ph.D. thesis titled “Use of enzymatic methodologies in the synthesis of biologically active amino acids”. The scientific activity of Gabriella Roda is divided into two main research topics. During her Ph.D. thesis she was involved in the study of biocatalyzed reactions for the stereoselective synthesis of chiral scaffolds useful for the preparation of biologically active compounds. This kind of activity allowed her to gain experience in bio-transformations as well as in the preparation and characterization of the biocatalysts. For the evaluation of the stereochemical outcome of the enzymatic reactions it was necessary to apply chiral analytical methods (HPLC and GC). This kind of experience was useful in the experimental activity which Gabriella Roda is carrying out at the faculty of Pharmacy where she is involved in the development of chemo-enzymatic strategies for the preparation of enantiomerically pure amino acids structurally related to glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter involved in several acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders. At the moment Gabriella Roda is involved in chemical and toxicological analysis. In particular she carries out research in the field of the analysis of drugs of abuse with particular attention to the new phychoactive substances, that is synthetic cathinones and cannabinoids. She also carries out research activity in the field of post-mortem toxicology, determining the most common substances of abuse on post-mortem samples such as blood, urine, bile, brain, liver, hair.

Research Interest

At the moment Gabriella Roda is involved in chemical and toxicological analysis. In particular she carries out research in the field of the analysis of drugs of abuse with particular attention to the new phychoactive substances, that is synthetic cathinones and cannabinoids. She also carries out research activity in the field of post-mortem toxicology, determining the most common substances of abuse on post-mortem samples such as blood, urine, bile, brain, liver, hair.