Short CV Runfola

Massimiliano is an accomplished medicinal chemist and chemical biologist dedicated to advancing drug discovery for degenerative diseases. His research integrates medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and innovative screening platforms to identify and develop multi-target therapeutic small molecules for addressing age-related and neurodegenerative conditions.

Currently serving as Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Padova, Massimiliano leads integrated research programs combining phenotypic screening platforms and chemoproteomics to accelerate drug discovery. His work specializes in leveraging interdisciplinary approaches to overcome challenges in drug discovery and regenerative medicine, with particular expertise in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and proteostasis modulation in aging-related diseases.

As a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow (UKRI Guarantee) at the University of Oxford (2022-2025), mentored by Prof Angela J Russell and Prof Dame Kay Davies, he pioneered chemoproteomics applications for target identification in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, identifying and validating new druggable targets for utrophin upregulation. His PhD at the University of Pisa (2017-2020), under supervision of Prof Simona Rapposelli, focused on the preclinical development of selective Thyroid Hormone Receptor β agonists for metabolic disorders and the identification and drug development of pleiotropic small molecules capable of modulating the proteostasis machinery in neurodegenerative diseases. Within the DEM-AGING framework (2021-2022), as a Postdoctoral Fellow he established the institution's first C. elegans-based high-throughput screening facility, to identify selective autophagy modulators for Batten's Disease.

Throughout his career, Massimiliano has completed specialized training at leading international institutions including Fraunhofer ITMP in Germany, the Babraham Institute in the UK, and the University of Cambridge, developing comprehensive expertise in screening platforms, ADME-Tox profiling, molecular biology, and translational drug development. 

His research achievements are reflected in significant competitive funding success, securing over £250,000 in research grants, publishing 15+ peer-reviewed articles, and co-inventing 2 patents focused on neurodegenerative and metabolic disease therapeutics.

Working at the interface of chemistry and biology, his research aims at decoding new molecular targets to unlock novel therapeutic small molecules for degenerative diseases. 

  Courses

Massimiliano Runfola in Syllabus

  Office hours

Upon appointment

  Availability for Thesis Projects

•   Medicinal Chemistry. Design and synthesis of new therapeutic agents for Neurodegenerative Diseases.
•   Chemical Biology. Development of photoaffinity-labelling probes for chemoproteomics-enabled target discovery.
•   Literature Review. Advanced modalities in drug discovery for complex diseases. 

  Scientific Activities

Massimiliano's research interests lie in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology, with a focus on the design and synthesis of small molecules for treating degenerative diseases. A major line of research aims at identifying multi-target compounds that modulate proteostasis through chemoproteomics-guided discovery, with particular emphasis on leveraging phenotypic screening platforms to accelerate hit identification.

Since his postdoctoral work at the University of Oxford, Massimiliano has developed a robust network of international collaborations focused on the design, synthesis and testing of compounds with therapeutic potential in rare diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. His chemoproteomics approaches enable the rational design of molecules capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously, leading to the discovery of new druggable targets and the optimization of lead compounds for preclinical development.

  Technical expertise

• Medicinal Chemistry & Chemical Biology
• Affinity-based Proteome Profiling & Chemoproteomics
• Organic Synthesis, NMR & MS Spectroscopy
• Cell-based & C. elegans-based Assay Development 
• Neurodegenerative & Neuromuscular Diseases

  Positions available

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact Massimiliano via email.

  Publications

Fulli list available on Padua Research Archive.

  Patents

• WO2020229014A1. Novel thyromimetics with a biphenylmethane scaffold and their use. Chiellini G, Columbano A, Gul S, Perra A, Puricelli G, Rapposelli S, Runfola M. [2020]
• IT102019000018893. Compounds for therapeutic treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Chiellini G, Rapposelli S, Runfola M. [2021]

  Selected Awards & Fellowships

• Medical & Life Sciences Translational Fund 2024 as co-Principal Investigator for “Development of new small molecules as regenerative medicines for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy”. £63,700 [04 2024 – 04 2025]
• UKRI Postdoc guarantee Fellowship EP/X028178/1 “Lead optimization and target validation of next generation pyrimidine-based utrophin upregulators for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy". £190,380. [10 2022 -10 2024] - UKRI scheme to cover awarded Horizon-Europe MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship 2021 fundings after Brexit
• IPAM-Farmindustria 2017 Award. MSc thesis was awarded as "the most innovative work in illustrating the use of cellular models for the screening of new molecules to be used in pharmacology".