CV

Laura Belvisi graduated in Chemistry cum laude at the University of Milano in 1990 and received her PhD in Chemical Sciences from the same University in 1994. After a post-doctoral fellowship, she became Researcher of Organic Chemistry at the University of Milano in 1998 and an Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry in 2015.
From 2001 to 2011 she was the scientific director of the Molecular Modeling Laboratory at the Interdipartimental Center for bio-molecular Studies and Industrial applications (CISI) of the University of Milano.

Since 2006 she teaches Medicinal Chemistry in the master degree courses in chemistry at the University of Milano. Since 2013 she is collaborating to the organization of a Franco-Italian double master degree between the Strasbourg, Paris-Diderot and degli Studi di Milano Universities in the field of molecular modeling and drug design.

Research Interests

Her major research interests are focused on the application of a broad range of computational modelling techniques for the design and the study of structural and functional mimics of biomolecules, such as peptides and carbohydrates, which play a key role in the function of biological systems and in the etiology of many pathologic processes. In particular, her research relies on the integrated use of molecular mechanics, computer simulations and docking calculations with experimental information (X-ray, NMR) and is aimed at defining structure and dynamics of peptidomimetics, glycomimetics and their complexes with the target protein. Two main research projects are currently in progress.

The first project concerns the design and the study of peptidomimetics targeting protein-protein interactions of therapeutic relevance in cancer, such as the interactions involving cell adhesion molecules (integrins, cadherins) or other cell surface receptors (e.g. growth factor receptors) which play key roles in tumor angiogenesis, progression and metastasis. In this context, peptidomimetics mimicking the hot spots and the structural features of these protein interfaces represent a promising strategy for obtaining innovative drugs with an optimal pharmacological profile.

The second project is aimed at designing and studying glycomimetics as inhibitors of multivalent carbohydrate-protein interactions, which mediate viral and bacterial adhesion to host cells, such as the DC-SIGN-mediated adhesion in the initial steps of HIV infection.

She has co-authored more than 70 articles on refereed international journals (h-index 23) and 4 patents. Orcid ID