Dr Maria Teresa Borrello

I'm a pharmacist, medicinal chemist, and lecturer with a distinguished academic and professional trajectory across Europe. I hold an MPharm in Pharmacy (Hons, 2010) from the University of Pavia, Italy, and I'm a fully registered pharmacist with experience in both hospital and community settings, having begun my professional career in the Hospital Pharmacy of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.

I pursued an MSc in Natural Products and Drug Discovery at University College London (UCL), graduating with distinction. My research was conducted under the supervision of the renowned natural product chemist Professor Simon Gibbons and medicinal chemist Professor David Thurston. My doctoral studies took me to the University of East Anglia (Norwich), where I joined Professor A. Ganesan’s group to undertake a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry. My work focused on the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of small molecule inhibitors targeting Lysine-Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1), a key epigenetic regulator implicated in cancer progression.

Following my PhD, I held prestigious postdoctoral appointments at some of Europe’s most famous research institutions. At the University of Oxford, I worked with Professor Christopher Schofield and Professor Akane Kawamura, contributing to the synthesis and molecular interrogation of epigenetic enzymes through click chemistry and innovative probe design.

My academic journey then led me to Marseille, France, where I joined Professor Juan Iovanna's lab with a fellowship from La Ligue Contre le Cancer. There, I investigated the role of the small stress response protein NUPR1 in cellular transcription during stress conditions, including its role in high-fat diet-induced pathology.

I later joined the lab of Professor Derek Mann at Newcastle University as a semi-independent postdoctoral research fellow, where I contributed to both the functional understanding of NUPR1 in fibrotic disease and the synthesis of novel small molecule inhibitors of Histone Deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) as potential anti-fibrotic agents.

Now a Lecturer at the University of Sunderland, I bring my expertise to the classroom, teaching Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Dermatological Sciences. My research continues to focus on the discovery and development of small molecule inhibitors — of both natural and synthetic origin — targeting epigenetic modulators and inflammatory pathways, with a particular interest in translational research to address skin diseases and fibrosis.

In parallel to my academic career, I remain an active, practicing community pharmacist in the UK and I'm fully registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). My unique combination of clinical insight and cutting-edge research places me at the intersection of pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical innovation.