Professor Carlo Ballatore

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Professor Carlo Ballatore

Main Institution : Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, USA.

Specialization : Dr. Ballatore’s laboratory specializes in the design and synthesis of small molecules as research tools or candidate therapeutics for a variety of human diseases. These activities, which typically involve Structure Activity and Structure Property Relationship (SAR/SPR) studies, are often directed towards the identification and development of probes suitable for mode of action studies, as well as candidate compounds optimized for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties that could enable in vivo proof-of-concept studies or preclinical evaluation of efficacy and safety.

Working History :

Dr. Ballatore is a Professor at University of California San Diego (UCSD) Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. His training and expertise are in medicinal chemistry, with >20 years of experience in drug discovery in both the biotechnology (~3 years) and academic drug discovery settings.

Research. Over the past several years, his laboratory has been engaged in several NIH-funded multidisciplinary drug/probe discovery programs by providing expertise in medicinal chemistry and drug design. Such collaborations include ongoing programs directed towards the discovery and development of candidate treatments for: (a) neurodegenerative tauopathies (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease), in collaboration with the Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Research at University of Pennsylvania; and (b) parasitic infections, such as trypanosomiasis and schistosomiasis, in collaboration with the Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases at UCSD. In addition, his laboratory has also been actively involved in the investigation of basic, fundamental principles in medicinal chemistry, such as in the area of isosteric replacements.

Mentoring. The scientific environment maintained in my laboratory is highly collaborative and inclusive. Students and post-docs participate and present their work at regularly scheduled group meetings and project meetings with collaborators. Over the years, his laboratory has trained more than 30 pre and postdoctoral students. Many of these went on to develop a successful career in academia, or in the biotechnology and pharma companies. In addition, He has been committed to undergraduate involvement in research activities and for several years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, He has regularly hosted and mentored each year 1-2 high school students. Finally, as part of my teaching activities, He co-Chair a course within the Biomedical Science (BMS) graduate program (SPPS263B – “Principles of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development part B”), and a course in the PharmD curriculum (SPPS218-A “Contemporary Topics in Pharmacology”).

Education/Training:

11/1995  B.S. (Medicinal Chemistry)University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy

01/2001 Ph.D. (Medicinal Chemistry) Cardiff University, University of Wales, U.K.

07/2002  Post-doctoral (Medicinal Chemistry) MD. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston.

Awards and Honors:
Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation – research grant (2010); Co-Editor of Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry (2021-to date)

Leadership Experience:
Dr. Ballatore has been responsible for medicinal chemistry at the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania
(2005-2016).

Positions and Scientific Appointments :

07/22–to date.  Chair of the Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Diego, Skaggs

School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

07/20–to date.  Professor, University of California San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

08/16–06/20  Associate Professor, University of California San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

07/13–07/16   Research Associate Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

07/07–07/13    Research Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

10/05–06/07   Senior Research Investigator, University of Pennsylvania, Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

06/03–09/05   Scientist III, Acidophil, LLC, La Jolla, California.

08/02–04/03   Research Scientist, NewBiotics Inc, San Diego, California

Honors :
2021  Co-Editor of Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
2019  Invited speaker at Vertex Pharmaceutical, San Diego

2019  Invited speaker at “Medicinal Chemistry Toolbox Session: Ions Count,  Acids, Bases, Zwitterionics in Drug Design”; 257th ACS National Meeting, Orlando, FL

Host : Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University