RADIOMI

ESR1 - Lukas Pfeifer

Originally from Austria. After spending 5 months of volunteering in an orphanage in Ghana, I moved to Munich in 2009 to take up my bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biochemistry at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU). Then, I spent 4 months working on boron-ate complex based methodology in the Aggarwal group at the University of Bristol. Finally, I joined the Gouverneur group at the University of Oxford as a DPhil student in January 2013. Here, my work is centred around the development of novel transition metal catalysed fluorination methodology and their application to radiolabelling using 18F. Apart from chemistry, I enjoy reading good books, doing all sorts of sports, riding my motorcycle and trying out new recipes in the kitchen.

Update 2018: Dr. Pfeifer is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands.

ESR2 - Gregor Cremosnik

I completed my Master studies at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, where I worked on iterative phosphorylation with Dr. Henning Jessen. In January 2014, I joined the Gouverneur group as a DPhil student. Currently, I am working on late stage fluorination and radiolabling. Outside the lab, I enjoy doing a lot of sports, especially judo, and exploring the world underwater.

Update 2018: Dr. Cremosnik is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Max Plank Institute for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany.

ESR13: Francesco Ibba

I acquired both Bachelor and Master degree from the University of Genova (Italy). I carried out my Bachelor project in Porto (Portugal) as an exchange student, in the lab of Prof. Fatima Paiva-Martins. I did my Master thesis in the BioOrganic Chemistry Group of the University of Genova. I worked on the development of a new isocyanide-based multicomponent reaction, supervised by Prof. Andrea Basso. A few days after my graduation, I moved to Basel (Switzerland) to work for a short term on an early-stage drug discovery project in Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research (NIBR). I joined the Gouverneur group and RADIOMI project in September 2015 for 7 months.

Update 2018: Francesco is a DPhil/ESR student in the H2020 ITN ISOTOPICS.

ER3 - Dr. Yanlan Wang

My name is Yanlan Wang and I am Chinese. I did my Master study on asymmetric catalysis with Prof. Wanbin Zhang in Shanghai Jiao Tong University. In October 2010, I moved to France to do PhD work under the supervision of Prof. Didier Astruc at the University of Bordeaux 1. In 2013 I defended my PhD thesis on the reactivity of electrophilic iron, ruthenium and cobalt metallocenes towards the elaboration of nano materials, including polymers, dendrimers and nanoparticles. In January 2014, I joined the research team of Prof. Max Malacria at ICSN-CNRS as a postdoc to work on a new project focused on the practical synthesis of all-metal homo and hetero-aromatics new species and the investigation on their physical and chemical properties. In November 2015, I joined Prof. Gouverneur’s group in Oxford in November 2015, to work on the RADIOMI project as an Experienced Researcher. 

ESR3 - Carlotta Taddei

I am Italian. I completed my bachelor studies at the faculty of Industrial Chemistry at Università di Bologna, Italy. During this period I discovered a particular interest in medicinal chemistry and in the spectroscopic techniques used to analyse molecules of biological interest. In 2011, I took the opportunity to conduct my master studies abroad with the “Advanced Spectroscopy in Chemistry” Erasmus Mundus Master course. My first year was at Université Lille 1 Sciences et Technologies, France and the second at Universität Leipzig, Germany. I extended my knowledge on the synthesis of drugs. My master thesis focused on the synthesis of carbaborane-containing indomethacin derivatives as potential COX-2 inhibitors. At the end of 2013, I took the opportunity to join Professor Tony Gee’s research group at the Division of Imaging Sciences at King’s College of London. My project is based on the development of new carbon-11 carbon dioxide incorporation methodologies and the synthesis of carbon-11 labelled molecules. I am excited to work in a multi-disciplinary team and collaborate with research groups around Europe. In addition, I am keen to discover more about radiochemistry techniques, such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET), which are relevant in medical diagnosis, in order to exploit them during my research project.

In my leisure time I like travelling, meeting new people, learning about different cultures, jogging and swimming. I also like visiting modern art galleries and carrying out volunteer work.

ER1 - Dr. Anna Kirjavainen

My name is Anna and I am from Finland. I obtained my Master’s degree in Organic chemistry in 2007 and my PhD in Nuclear Medicine in 2014 in Turku PET Centre at University of Turku, Finland. Both my Master’s and Doctoral thesis focused mainly on electrophilic fluorine-18 chemistry. My doctoral thesis on electrophilic fluorinating agents was entitled “Radiosynthesis and use of [¹⁸F]F₂ derivatives [¹⁸F]Selectfluor bis(triflate) and [¹⁸F]ClF”. My  postdoctoral project at King’s College London is on the synthesis, developing and ¹⁸F-labelling of NMDA tracer. I joined Prof. Gee's group in April 2015 for 1 year.

Update 2018: Dr. Kirjavainen is back at the Turku PET Centre as a Senior Researcher.

ESR4 - Thomas Keller

In the period 2009-13, I studied Chemistry at the University of Oxford, as a member of Hertford College. My Part II year was spent in the Gouverneur group where I studied oxidative fluorination. After defending my Part II thesis on the "Oxidative Fluorination of aromatic and heterocyclic motifs" and obtaining my MChem in 2013, I was given the opportunity to join the Turku PET Centre. Here, I will work under the supervision of Prof. Solin on radiofluorination of organic molecules with the aim of synthesizing new radiotracers for PET. In my spare time I enjoy playing music, reading and cooking.

Update 2018: Thomas is working as a researcher at the Turku PET Centre and will defend his PhD thesis in early 2019.

ESR5 - Anna Krzyczmonik (Anja)

I started my studies in 2008 on the Interdisciplinary Science Studies at the University of Lodz.  During my studies I took part in an internship at the University of Glasgow on Faculty of Organic Chemistry. In 2013 I defended my Master's thesis 'The diastereoselective synthesis of tetraalkyl (R,R)-1,2-cyclohexylenediamino-di-phosphonates bearing thiophene and pyrrole moieties.' A part of this was prepared during Erasmus exchange at the University of Pau (France). In October 2013, I had an opportunity to join the Prof. Olof Solin team in Turku PET Centre where I will focus on radiofluorination of organic molecules with the aim of synthesizing new radiotracers for PET.

Update 2018: Anna is working as a researcher at the Turku PET Centre and will defend her PhD thesis in December 2018.

ESR14 - Katharina Grafinger

My name is Katharina and I am from Austria. In 2010 I moved to Germany for my Bachelor studies in Forensic Science. During my studies, I participated in an internship at Lomonosov State University of Fine Chemical Technology in Moscow, Russia. In 2013, I graduated from the University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg and was accepted in the EC Erasmus Mundus Masters Programme in Forensic Science. My Masters thesis focused on the “Analysis of Tobacco and Cannabis Smoke and its Toxicological Impact on Neuroblastoma Tumour Cells”. In August 2015, I joined the Turku PET Centre, as a 6-months RADIOMI ESR under the supervision of Prof. Merja-Haarparanta-Solin. In my free time I like to do all kinds of sports, meet friends and explore new cultures.

Update: Katharina is now a PhD Student at the Department of Forensic Toxicology and Chemistry, University of Bern, Switzerland.

ESR6 - Ulrike Filp

After school, I went to explore New Zealand. A year later, I returned to Germany to study Chemistry. I started at the University of Tuebingen, but soon found out that I wanted to learn more about organic, medicinal and biochemistry. And I moved to Mainz to study Biomedical Chemistry. I graduated in 2012, with a Master’s thesis “Staining A-beta plaques with fluorine-18 agents in Alzheimer’s disease in small animal models”. During my Master's, I discovered my special interest in radiochemistry. In 2013, I took the opportunity to join the group of A. D. Windhorst at the University of Amsterdam. Here, I am working on “Native peptides radiolabeled with Carbon-11”. I am really looking forward to the upcoming years, the exchange with other fellows around Europe, and I am really excited about my future in radiochemistry.

Update 2018: Dr. Filp defended her PhD thesis in September 2018.

ESR7 - Aleksandra Pekošak​

I am coming from Slovenia, where I finished my study of pharmacy on the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana. During the study, I found my interest in organic chemistry so I decided to do some research work at the Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, dealing with synthesis of potential novel immunomodulatory compounds. This was also the topic of my master thesis "Design and synthesis of indole scaffold-based NOD1 protein inhibitors" defended in June 2013. During my college years, I also explored Australia and attended summer school in Shanghai. After the professional exam, I worked in a community pharmacy in Slovenia till November 2013, when I finally got the opportunity to join the group of A. D. Windhorst at the Vrije University Medical Center in Amsterdam. My research topic is on Native peptides radiolabeled with Carbon-11. I am really looking forward to learn as much as possible in the upcoming years, to meet and exchange with other outstanding colleagues across the Europe and also to work in a multidisciplinary environment. In my spare time I enjoy horse back riding, volunteering, traveling and also learning new languages! Update: Aleksandra is currently a Fulbright Visiting Researcher at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School (Sept. 2015-June 2016).

Update 2018: Dr. Pekošak​ is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

ESR15 - Cinzia Marceddu

I was born and raised in Italy. I studied at the Alma mater Studiorum University of Bologna. My bachelor project was focused on the synthesis of constrained peptidomimetics and supervised by Prof. C. Tommasini. I became more and more interested in the field of imaging and theranostics, and wanted to develop my master project outside the university. Thanks to a collaboration between the group of Prof. M. C. Franchini (University of Bologna) and Dr. J. Llop (CICbiomaGUNE), I had the opportunity to move to Donostia (Spain). There I developed my project on targeted radiolabeled nanoparticles. During this period, I got more interested in radiochemistry and its applications in the field of imaging.

I defended my Master thesis in Photochemistry and Material Chemistry in 2015. In January 2016, I moved to Amsterdam to join the group of Prof. A. D. Windhorst. Here my project revolves around the synthesis of a phase transfer catalyst and its use in [¹¹C]labeled peptides.

Update 2018: Cinzia is a PhD/ESR student in the H2020 ITN PET3D at Imanova Ltd., UK. 

ESR8 - Ana Lima Oubiña

I am originally from Cambados, northwestern Spain. I achieved my degree in Pharmacy at the University of Santiago de Compostela. During my final year, I completed a six-month internship at the San Camillo Forlanini Hospital in Rome under the Erasmus programme. Based on my National exam results, I was awarded a post to complete the Radiopharmacy Specialty at the Vall d´Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, in May 2011. I was trained in Radiopharmacy at the Nuclear Medicine department hospital for three years. During the first two years I worked with Conventional Nuclear Medicine and I spent the last year at Pharmaceutical Companies: Barnatron (Barcelona), IBA Molecular (Seville), PETNET Solutions, Siemens (Madrid); and Research Centers: Clinica Universidad de Navarra, CICbiomaGUNE, Turku PET Centre; to expand my knowledge about PET radiopharmaceuticals and development of new PET tracers. I completed the specialty in May 2014, and three months later I had the opportunity to join Pál Mikecz team at the University of Debrecen in Hungary. The project I am currently working on is focused on Radiolabeling of Nanoparticles for Multimodal PET-MR Imaging. I really look forward to learning as much as possible and share and exchange knowledge with my colleagues. I will do my best to seize this opportunity of working with outstanding professionals and take the next step forward in my career.

ESR9 - Bonaventura (Ture) Eijsbouts

My name is Ture, originally from the Netherlands. I finished my Master in Organic Chemistry in 2012 at the Radboud University Nijmegen, where I worked with Prof. Floris Rutjes on the optimization of iridium catalysts for reductive aminations. I joined the UCBL and CERMEP in Lyon in January 2014. My work is centered on the development of transition metal catalyzed carbon-11 radiolabeling. Outside the lab, I like to play boardgames and Magic: the Gathering, solve puzzles, and enjoy good meals, good drinks, and good music.                                   

ESR10 - Ermal Ismalaj

My name is Ermal and I am originally from Albania. I received my MSc degree in Pharmacy at the University of Siena with a thesis in Organic Chemistry titled “Synthesis of Indilin-2-one derivatives as possible inhibitors of the MRN complex” under the supervision of Dr. Elena Petricci. I also studied for one year in Spain at the University of Granada as an Erasmus Exchange Student. In November 2012, I joined the Prof. Luigi Vaccaro Group (Green S.O.C lab) at the University of Perugia as a Research Fellow. My research area was Solid Catalysis and the use of alternative reaction media. In February 2014, I joined the UCBL and CERMEP in Lyon. My project deals with the development of novel organometallic fluorination methods and their extension to 18-Fluorine radiolabeling. I like cinema, literature and history. I also like travelling and living in multicultural circles.

Update 2018: Dr. Ismalaj is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at KU Leuven, Belgium.

ESR11 - Eunice Sofia Da Silva Fernandes

I am from Portugal. I studied at the Health Science Technology School of Coimbra (Portugal), where I graduated in Science in Pharmacy. There, I acquired my strong interest in medicinal chemistry and radiochemistry. In 2013, I attained my master’s degree in Industrial Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Coimbra (Portugal). During this period, I joined the Drug Discovery group, Center of Pharmaceutical Studies, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra and worked with the Equipe Chimie et Biomasse, University of Pascal Paoli, France. Simultaneously, I worked in a Community Pharmacy during three years. Lastly, I had the opportunity to join Dr. Llop’s research group at CIC biomaGUNE, Spain. Here, my work is focused on the development of new methodologies for ¹³N production and implementation of synthetic strategies for the preparation of ¹³N-labelled compounds. I am looking forward to getting involved into this interdisciplinary work and enjoy international experiences.

Update 2018: Dr. Da Silva Fernandes is an Analytical chemist at Syncom, Groningen, The Netherlands.

ESR12 - Sameer Manohar Joshi

I was born in India. After Finishing my Masters degree with specialization in Organic Chemistry at the University of Pune, India (2009) I joined the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) also in Pune, where I stayed for 1 & 1/2 years. Then, I spent 2 years working in a private pharmaceutical company in India. At the beginning of 2013 I was offered the opportunity to become a member of Dr. Llop´s research group at CIC biomaGUNE, Spain. Finally, I joined the group in October 2013. Here, I am working on the development of new strategies for the preparation of ¹³N-labelled compounds. I am really looking forward to learn as much as possible in the field of Radiochemistry and Nuclear Imaging, while enjoying a beautiful life experience by working in a multidisciplinary environment.

Update 2018: Dr. Joshi is an Associate Researcher at Wayne State University, Detroit, USA.

ER2 - Dr. Giulia Boscutti 

I am Italian. I obtained my Bachelor and Master degrees in Chemistry at the University of Padova (Italy). In 2014 I completed my PhD in Chemical Sciences at the Graduate School of Molecular Sciences of Padova (Italy), with a Thesis concerning the synthesis and biological evaluation of new metal-based anticancer compounds. During my PhD, I spent 6 months at the Pharmacy Research Institute of the University of Groningen (The Netherlands), where I deepened my knowledge on different aspects of Medicinal Chemistry. In November 2014, I joined the Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) site of Marseille (France), were I'm learning more about radiochemistry and GMP production of new radiopharmaceuticals for Positron Emission Tomography (PET). In particular, my project concerns with the setting up and the optimization of the synthesis of [¹⁸F]-labeled peptides and proteins for the imaging of apoptosis and angiogenesis. In my spare time I enjoy watching movies, travelling and photography.

Update 2018: Dr. Boscutti is a R&D Radiochemist at Invicro A Konica Minolta Company, London, UK.