DE FRANCESCO RAFFAELE

BIRTHDATE: September 26, 1960

NATIONALITY: Italian

CURRENT POSITIONS:
Professor of Microbiology, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano, Italy
Group Leader, Virology, INGM - National Institute of Molecular Genetics, Milano, Italy

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8754-5123

WORK ADDRESS AND CONTACTS
INGM - National Institute of Molecular Genetics
via Francesco Sforza 35
20146 Milano, Italy
Phone :+39 02 00660 336
Fax:+39 02 00660 216
Mobile: +39 348 437 6717
E-Mail: raffaele.defrancesco@unimi.it
Skype: defrancesco.ingm
Web site: http://www.ingm.org

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
1979-1984 Degree in Biological Sciences, University of Milan, Italy.
1985- 1988 Post-doctoral Associate, Department of Biochemistry, Emory University-School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA., U.S.A
1988-1990 Post-doctoral Fellow, Gene Expression Programme, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany

POSITIONS HELD
1991-1996 Group Leader, IRBM– Pomezia (Roma), Italy
1996-2006 Sr. Director and Head of Biochemisty Department, IRBM– Pomezia (Roma), Italy
2006-2008 Sr. Director and Basic Research Site Lead Antiviral Research, IRBM– Pomezia (Roma), Italy
2008-date Group Leader, Virology, INGM - National Institute of Molecular Genetics, Milano, Italy

PAST ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
1993 - 1994 - Adjunct Professor, University of Milano, Italy. Course on Protein Folding and Engineering
2017 - 2018 - Adjunct Professor, University of Milano, Italy. Course on Applied Microbiology and Hygiene (School of Pharmacy)

RESEARCH SYNOPSIS
RDF is internationally recognised for his pioneering work on the molecular virology of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and for his key contributions to antiviral drug discovery. His early work in this area was pivotal in the identification of what became the most successful molecular targets of the new direct antivirals for HCV. In recognition of his numerous contribution to the development of highly effective HCV antivirals, the EMBL awarded RDF with the 2018 Lennart Philipson Award for outstanding and validated contributions in translational research in human health. His current research interests focus on the identification of new therapeutic strategies for the cure of chronic and acute viral infections.

RECENT RESEARCH GRANTS
-CARIPLO Foundation (Role: Head of Unit)
Title: “Immune and epigenetic mechanisms in the control of viral transcription/replication in chronic HBV patients antiviral treatments: an integrated approach”; 2012-2014.
-AIRC Investigator Grant (Role: Principal Investigator)
Title: “Assessing the role of Type III phosphatidylinositol 4-kinases in cancer: a chemical- and functional- genomic approach”; 2015-2018.
-Region Lombardy, Accordi per Ricerca, Sviluppo e Innovazione (Role:Head of Unit)
Title: “Development of new molecules that can cure HBV”; 2017-2019

MEMBERSHIPS, HONOURS AND AWARDS
1988-1990 - Awarded an EMBO Long-term Fellowship
2006-2013 - Scientific Advisor Committee, International Workshop on HCV Resistance and New Compounds
2012 - Co-chair of the 19th International Symposium on HCV and Related Viruses
2013-2017 - Scientific Board, IRBM Science Park, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
2014-2017 - Scientific Advisory Committee, Hepatitis Cure and Eradication Conference Series
2018 - Recipient of the EMBL Lennart-Philipson Award
2009-2018 - Member of Board of Instructors, PhD program in Translational Medicine DIMET, University of Milano Bicocca, Italy
2019-date - Member of Board of Instructors, PhD School in Pharmacological Biomolecular Sciences, Experimental and Clinical, University of Milan, Italy
2021-2023 - Virology representative in the Executive Committee of SIMGBM (Italian Society of General Microbiology and Medical Biotechnologies)

Ad hoc reviewer for International Funding Agencies, including: European Research Council (ERC), Wellcome Trust, Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR); Genome Canada; Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF), Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS), UK Medical Research Foundation (MRF)

Guest reviewer for International Scientific Journals, including: Nature, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Communications, EMBO Journal, PLOS Pathogens, PNAS, Blood, Journal of Virology, Journal of Immunology, Blood, Hepatology, Journal of Hepatology, FEBS Journal, Antiviral Therapy, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs, Immunology Letter, International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Raffaele De Francesco is (co)author of >140 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
and inventor of 16 international patents/patent applications

H-index: 68 (Scopus)
Scientific Publication list: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7004278557

Recently published patent applications on novel antivirals for hepatitis B:
-R. De Francesco, L. Donnici, L. Guidotti, M. Iannacone, R. Di Fabio, V. Summa, A. Prandi, P. Randazzo, D. Gornati, A. Grillo, L. Ferrante, L. I. Bencheva, M. De Matteo, M. Ferrara (2020). Tricyclic inhibitors of hepatitis B virus. PCT/EP2019/071408
-R. De Francesco, L. Donnici, L. Guidotti, M. Iannacone, R. Di Fabio, V. Summa, A. Prandi, P. Randazzo, I. Bencheva, M. De Matteo, L. Ferrante, D. Gornati, A. Grillo (2020). Oxalamido-substituted tricyclic inhibitors of hepatitis B virus. PCT/EP2020/064424
-R. De Francesco, L. Donnici, L. Guidotti, M. Iannacone, R. Di Fabio, V. Summa, L. I. Bencheva, M. De Matteo, L. Ferrante, A. Prandi, P. Randazzo (2020). Cyclic inhibitors of hepatitis B virus. PCT/EP2019/069565,
-R.De Francesco, A. Prandi, L. Donnici, L. Guidotti, M. Iannacone, R. Di Fabio, V.Summa, L.I. Bencheva, M.De Matteo, L.Ferrante (2020). Inhibitors of hepatitis B virus. PCT/EP2019/069550