Dr. Dipak Walunj | Medicinal Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Dipak Walunj | Medicinal Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Georgia Institute of Technology | United States

Dr. Dipak Walunj is a medicinal chemist specializing in the design and synthesis of anticancer molecular chimeras and bioactive compounds. He earned his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from Ariel University, Israel, where his research focused on developing anticancer molecular chimeras under the guidance of Prof. Gary Gellerman. He also holds an M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry and a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Pune, India. Currently, Dr. Walunj is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, conducting advanced research on the design, synthesis, and biocharacterization of new deferiprone analogs for treating triple-negative breast cancer. His previous professional roles include Assistant Professor at Nowrosjee Wadia College, Pune, Research Fellow at the University of Milan, and Project Assistant at CSIR–National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, where he contributed to natural product synthesis and drug development. His research interests encompass medicinal chemistry, organic synthesis, anticancer drug design, and chemical biology. Dr. Walunj’s excellence in research has been recognized with several fellowships and the Award of Excellence in Doctoral Research from Ariel University. Through his innovative work, he continues to contribute to the advancement of therapeutic chemistry and cancer drug discovery.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publication

Walunj, D., Egarmina, K., Zipin-Roitman, A., Muddineni, S. S. N. A., Tkachenko, I., Mitra, P., Tobi, D., Bazylevich, A., Shpilberg, O., Milyavsky, M., Hershkovitz-Rokah, O., & Gellerman, G. (2025). Novel dual action chimera doxorubizen demonstrates superior efficacy to doxorubicin in acute leukemia. Scientific Reports,

Dr. Cesira Giordano, Medicinal Chemistry, Women Researcher Award

Dr. Cesira Giordano, Medicinal Chemistry, Women Researcher Award

Doctorate at Azienda Opedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Italy

Professional Profiles

Scopus

Orcid

🎓 Education and Academic Background

Cesira Giordano, born on January 28, 1987, holds a Master’s Degree in Molecular Biology, with a specialization in Microbiology and Virology. She furthered her expertise by completing a 2nd level Master’s in OMIC Data Analysis, reflecting her commitment to integrating cutting-edge technology into her field.

🧑‍🔬 Professional Qualifications and Current Role

Since October 2019, Cesira has held a permanent position as a Biologist Manager at the Hospital Microbiology Department of Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana (AOUP) in Pisa. As a Clinical Microbiologist, she is responsible for key microbiological analyses, including regional control measures in line with Tuscany’s Decree No. 16286 of 2017. Cesira’s work ensures public health laboratories maintain their high standards, particularly through her role as the Single EQA (External Quality Assessment) contact person for SD Hospital Microbiology at AOUP.

🏆 Leadership in Public Health and Tender Commissions

Cesira has been actively involved in public health laboratory management, serving as a Tender Commissioner for various public health tenders in 2023 and 2024. Her roles include:

  • June 2024: Tender Commissioner for AOUP ESTAR, overseeing consumables and accessories for public health laboratories.
  • September 2023: Tender Commissioner for AOUP, focusing on microbiological identifications and antibiotic testing (Antibiograms).
  • July 2023–Ongoing: AOUP Contact Person for the Tuscany Region regarding communications about Listeria monocytogenes.

🔬 Research Contributions and Innovations

Cesira’s research focuses on the development and application of innovative microbiological technologies. Between 2018 and 2019, she was awarded a research grant to develop Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) technology for identifying bacteria and yeast. This work, conducted in collaboration with the University of Pisa, has laid the groundwork for bacterial typing and investigating antibiotic resistance.

Her other research highlights include:

2018: Development of rapid antibiogram protocols for multi-organ donor samples, under the supervision of Dr. Simona Barnini.

2017: Analysis of the genomes of Klebsiella pneumoniae using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques. This project aimed at identifying new genes responsible for antibiotic resistance, carried out under the leadership of Dr. Simona Barnini.

🌍 International Research and Collaboration

In 2016, Cesira expanded her research experience internationally, spending time at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Netherlands. There, she worked on whole genome sequencing of multi-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, contributing to the understanding of antibiotic resistance mechanisms under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Alexander Friedrich, Dr. Erik Bathoorn, and Dr. John Rossen.

🧪 Pioneering Work in Microbiological Diagnostics

Cesira has made significant strides in rapid diagnostic methodologies. In 2016, she played a crucial role in developing rapid molecular and phenotypic antibiograms aimed at diagnosing sepsis swiftly. The protocols she helped develop reduced diagnostic time to as little as 3-6 hours after blood culture positivity, using advanced techniques like MALDI TOF MS. These advancements have greatly improved clinical response times in critical cases, saving lives.

Publications Top Noted📚

Frequency of cefiderocol heteroresistance among patients treated with cefiderocol for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections

Authors: Shields, R.K., Dorazio, A.J., Tiseo, G., Doi, Y., Falcone, M.

Journal: JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance

Year: 2024

Glycine restores the sensitivity to antibiotics in multidrug-resistant bacteria

Authors: Giordano, C., Barnini, S.

Journal: Microbiology Spectrum

Year: 2024

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Infections Caused by Metallo-β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacterales: A 3-Year Prospective Study from an Endemic Area

Authors: Falcone, M., Giordano, C., Leonildi, A., Barnini, S., Tiseo, G.

Journal: Clinical Infectious Diseases

Year: 2024

Real-world experience with meropenem/vaborbactam for the treatment of infections caused by ESBL-producing Enterobacterales and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

Authors: Tiseo, G., Galfo, V., Riccardi, N., Barnini, S., Falcone, M.

Journal: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Year: 2024

Activity of novel β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations against serine carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Authors: Lee, S.Y., Gill, C.M., Nicolau, D.P., Fang, F., Thomson, G.

Journal: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Year: 2023