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Biography
My career has focused on the biochemistry, pharmacology and therapeutics of human pathogens most notably Plasmodium falciparum and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Basic biochemical research includes the characterisation of bioenergetic components in the respiratory chain and of key substrate and drug transporters. This fundamental work has contributed to the understanding of mechanisms of drug action, major resistance mechanisms in malaria and validation of novel targets for chemotherapy in both malaria and TB.
Now spanning some 25 years, my research has been supported by three personal fellowships and grant funding from major funders (e.g. Leverhulme, Wellcome, MRC, EU, Innovate UK, NHIR) in excess of £30 million. I have published > 100 peer-review publications, as well as patents for the discovery of novel malaria and anti-tubercular inhibitors. My translational research experience in infection pharmacology and drug discovery/development spans from the development of HTS campaigns to candidate declaration. I have also been involved in the development of several enabling platforms, such as image-based pharmacodynamic (PD) host-pathogen cellular and infection-organoid platforms to identify and accelerate antimalarial, antitubercular and anti-viral pre-clinical drug candidates.
The overarching philosophy of my work is to strive to make scientific research contributions that have the potential to be translated to solutions that have a material impact on the health and well-being of people from resource poor settings. Towards this goal, I have worked in, and collaborated with, partners from LMICs, including Malawi, Rwanda, Kenya, Vietnam and Thailand, and established long-standing collaborations with pharma industry (e.g. GSK DDW Madrid, Astra Zeneca) and relevant product development partnership organisations (PDPs) e.g. Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and the TB Alliance (TBA).
In the UK, I have led efforts to develop and promote a translational research environment for Global Health, including the training of the next generation of research leaders. I led the establishment of the Tropical Infectious Disease Consortium, a partnership between leading UK institutes involved in translational research in tropical infectious diseases (and includes LSTM, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Oxford University and the UK Health Security Agency).
I also established and lead the MRC Translational and Quantitative Skills Doctoral Training Programme in Global Health, a collaboration between LSTM and Lancaster University, that has funded and supported over 50 PhD studentships for the development of the next cadre of future leaders in translational Global Health.
Giancarlo received a UKRI Innovation Scholars personal award in 2021 for the development of sustainable academic-industry partnerships and has an active portfolio of projects with regional and national SMEs towards untapping breakthrough innovation for the treatment and management of infectious diseases.
In 2024, as Director of the Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics (CDD) at LSTM, I spearhead the strategic E3 investment of £9.8 million from Research England for the development of a skilled multi-disciplinary workforce, prioritising Early Career Researchers and disruptive technologies to pioneer innovative solutions for infectious diseases.
Activities
Employment (11)
Education and qualifications (3)
Professional activities (15)
Funding (34)
2269400
MR/R015678/1
grant.104936/Z/14/Z
104936/Z/14/Z
086061/Z/08/A
086061/Z/08/Z
Works (50 of 157)
2-s2.0-85149176745
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2-s2.0-85128958421
2-s2.0-85125483914
2-s2.0-85110272370
2-s2.0-85105771770
2-s2.0-85108543112
2-s2.0-85098615321
2-s2.0-85099189941
2-s2.0-85151881804
2-s2.0-85078507086
PPR257925
2-s2.0-85077762231
WOS:000357786200004
WOS:000348040700042
WOS:000360415800011
10.1093/jac/dkt486