Dr. Daniele Castagnolo

Biography

Daniele Castagnolo obtained his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Siena in Italy in 2006, working under Professor Maurizio Botta on the synthesis of antimycobacterial agents and the development of microwave-assisted metathesis reactions. During his doctoral studies, he joined Professor Johann Mulzer's research group at the University of Vienna as a visiting PhD student, where he focused on the total synthesis of the Branimycin side chain. After completing his Ph.D., he was appointed a postdoctoral research associate at Helsinki University of Technology under Professor Petri Pihko, where he developed Brønsted acid-catalyzed reactions for the synthesis of non-anomeric [6.5]-spiroketals. In 2008, he returned to the University of Siena as a Research Fellow, working on metal-catalyzed alkyne reactions for the synthesis of drug-like compounds and the identification of novel antifungal and antiviral agents. He completed additional postdoctoral studies at the University of Manchester in the UK, working with Professor Jonathan Clayden on the synthesis of tertiary thiols. In 2012, he started independent research at Northumbria University, and in September 2015 he moved to King’s College London, where he served as a lecturer and senior lecturer until December 2021. In January 2022, Daniele joined UCL's Department of Chemistry as a Professor of Sustainable Chemistry, focusing on the intersection of organic chemistry and sustainable practices.

Research Interests

Experience