About me

I’m a PhD student in the AI Laboratory for Molecular Engineering (AIME) at Chalmers University of Technology, in Gothenburg, Sweden, where I explore the use of artificial intelligence in drug discovery and molecular engineering. My academic journey has taken me from a bachelor’s in computer engineering to advanced studies in data science and AI. Along the way, I’ve gained experience in both academia and industry, including an intership at AstraZeneca.

I’m passionate about merging technology with life sciences, and I’m always open to discussing new ideas and collaborations! Feel free to reach out if you’d like to connect 🚀

Research Interests

My research interests lie at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computational chemistry, and drug discovery. I’m particularly interested in the development of machine learning models for predicting the activity of small molecules in biological systems, with a focus on targeted protein degradation and PROTACs. I’m also interested in the application of Neurosymbolic AI techniques for discovering new chemical reactions within the context of retrosynthesis prediction.

Please check out my publications for more details on my research projects.

More Details On My Career Path…

Before AI “was cool”, I focused my studies on embedded systems, with a focus on computer architecture design and high performance computing. I’ve always been fascinated by both hardware and software, and I’ve worked on projects ranging from developing hardware IPs for RISC-V processors to FPGA-based accelerators in HLS for machine learning.

After working two years in the aerospace sector at Gaisler, I decided to pivot my career towards AI and computational chemistry instead. Thanks to an intership opportunity at AstraZeneca in Gothenburg, that introduced me to my current PhD supervisor, Rocío Mercado, I had the chance to work on a project that combined my passion for AI with my interest in drug discovery. This experience was a turning point for me and made me pursue a PhD in the field of AI-driven molecular engineering.

Please check my CV for more details on my education and work experience.

Miscellanea

• I love cooking and trying new recipes, sometimes in a very “nerdy” way (for example, I really love this book series 🥦)
• If you don’t speak Italian, somehow my name is very hard to pronounce right… so here is how to pronunce it correctly!
• For personal reasons, I happen to often travel to Leiden, in the Netherlands. If you’re around, we can also meet there in the lovely city center! (have you ever tried kibbeling? 🐟)