Lecturer in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry
I am a scientist with a unique blend of expertise in pharmacy and medicinal chemistry. With a focus on natural product drug discovery and small molecule development, my journey has been shaped by collaborations with leading researchers such as Professor David Thurston and Professor Simon Gibbons (UCL, London).
My doctoral research, under Professor Ganesan's supervision (UEA, Norwich), explored KDM1A drug discovery for cancer research. Subsequent roles as a PDRA expanded my knowledge in drug discovery and pharmacology, from click chemistry at Oxford to ER stress in liver fibrosis and pancreatic cancer at Aix Marseille University.
Now, as a lecturer at the University of Sunderland, I am passionate about mentoring students and establishing a research lab focused on drug discovery.
Teaching and supervision
- Pharmacy
- MSc Drug Discovery and Development
- Cosmetic Science (module leader for Dermatology)
Research interests for potential research students
I am a registered pharmacist (GPhC).
I am currently analysing the properties of raw honey from the Miombo Forest (Zambia) thanks to the funding of the RKE (University of Sunderland) in collaboration with Professor Simon Gibbons.
I have been awarded a Northern Accelerator MRC award to develop novel small molecule inhibitors of HDAC6.
I collaborate with Professor M. Cervello in Italy (University of Palermo) on projects regarding ER stress and stress proteins targeting.
I am supervising MSc students on natural product extracts for skincare formulation in collaboration with Dr Nuntawat Khat-udomkiri. I also collaborate with Professor Andrea Pieroni on ethnobotany projects.
Research
- Small molecule inhibitors of epigenetic targets (KDM1A, HDAC6)
- Natural products structure isolation and biochemical evaluation
- Investigation of natural products as functional ingredients for skincare
Publications
Article
Sulaiman, Naji, Zocchi, Dauro M. and Borrello, Maria Teresa (2023) Traditional Knowledge Evolution over Half of a Century: Local Herbal Resources and Their Changes in the Upper Susa Valley of Northwest Italy. Plants, 13 (1). ISSN 2223-7747
Borrello, Maria Teresa and Mann, Derek (2022) Chronic liver diseases: From development to novel pharmacological therapies: IUPHAR Review 37. British Journal of Pharmacology. ISSN 1476-5381
Borrello, Maria Teresa, Martin, Mickenzie B. and Pin, Christopher L. (2021) The unfolded protein response: An emerging therapeutic target for pancreatitis and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Pancreatology, 22 (1). pp. 148-159. ISSN 1424-3903
Borrello, Maria Teresa, Benelkebir, Hanae, Lee, Adam, Tam, Chak Hin, Shafat, Manar, Rushworth, Stuart A, Bowles, Kristian A, Douglas, Leon, Duriez, Patrick J, Bailey, Sarah, Crabb, Simon J, Packham, Graham and Ganesan, A (2021) Synthesis of Carboxamide-Containing Tranylcypromine Analogues as LSD1 (KDM1A) Inhibitors Targeting Acute Myeloid Leukemia. ChemMedChem, 16. pp. 1316-1324. ISSN 1860-7187
Azizi, Nawab, Toma, Jelena, Martin, Mickenzie, Khalid, Muhammad Faran, Mousavi, Fatemeh, Win, Phyo Wei, Borrello, Maria Teresa, Steele, Nina, Shi, Jiaqi, di Magliano, Marina Pasca and Pin, Christopher L. (2021) Loss of activating transcription factor 3 prevents KRAS-mediated pancreatic cancer. Oncogene, 40. pp. 3118-3135. ISSN 0950-9232
Borrello, Maria Teresa, Emma, Maria Rita, Listi, Angela, Rubis, Marion, Coslet, Sergiu, Augello, Giuseppa, Cusiamano, Antonella, Cabibi, Daniela, Porcasi, Rossana, Giannitrapani, Lydia, Soresi, Maurizio, Pantuso, Gianni, Blyth, Karen, Montalto, Giuseppe, Pin, Christopher, Cervello, Melchiorre and Iovanna, Juan (2021) NUPR1 protects liver from lipotoxic injury by improving the endoplasmic reticulum stress response. FASEB. pp. 1-19. ISSN 1530-6860
Borrello, Maria Teresa, Santofimia-Castano, Patricia, Bocchio, Marco, Listi, Angela, Fraunhoffer, Nicolas, Soubeyran, Philippe, Chevet, Eric, Pin, Christopher and Iovanna, Juan (2021) NUPR1 interacts with eIF2α and is required for resolution of the ER stress response in pancreatic tissue. The Febs Journal. pp. 4081-4097. ISSN 1742-4658
Borrello, Maria Teresa, Schinor, Benjamin, Bartels, Katharina, Benelkebir, Hanae, Pereira, Sara, Al-Jamal, Wafa T, Douglas, Leon, Duriez, Patrick J, Packham, Graham, Haufe, Gunter and Ganesan, A (2017) Fluorinated tranylcypromine analogues as inhibitors of lysine-specific deme-thylase 1 (LSD1, KDM1A. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 27 (10). pp. 2099-2101. ISSN 0960-894X
Malcomson, Thomas, Yelekci, Kemal, Borrello, Maria Teresa and Arasu, Ganesan (2015) cis-cyclopropylamines as mechanism-based inhibitors of monoamine oxidases. The FEBS Journal, 282 (16). pp. 3190-3198. ISSN 1742-464X (In Press)
Marcello, Tortorici, Borrello, Maria Teresa and Tardugno, Maria (2013) Protein Recognition by Short Peptide Reversible Inhibitors of the Chromatin-Modifying LSD1/CoREST Lysine Demethylase. ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY, 8 (8). pp. 1677-1682. ISSN 1554-8929
Brucoli, Federico and Borrello, Maria Teresa (2012) Structural Characterization and Antimicrobial Evaluation ofAtractyloside, Atractyligenin, and 15-DidehydroatractyligeninMethyl Ester. Journal of Natural Products, 75 (6). pp. 1070-1075. ISSN 0163-3864