CURRICULUM VITAE
FRANCESCA CAVALIERI
Born: 27th April 1969 in Rome, Italy
Senior Researcher/ Tenured Assistant Professor in Physical Chemistry
Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies
University of Rome “Tor Vergata”,
Via della Ricerca Scientifica 00133, Rome, Italy.
Phone +39-06-72594461. Fax: +39-06-72594328
email: [email protected]
Qualifications:
Laurea in Industrial Chemistry, maximum cum laude, at University of Rome "La Sapienza",
Italy, 1989-1995..
Current Appointment: Senior Researcher/Assistant Professor in Physical Chemistry,
Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy.
November 2002 (continuing)
Relevant Employment History:
1995- 1996 Research Fellow, sponsored by the pharmaceutical company, MENARINI,
University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, Italy:
1996- 1997 Research Fellow, Whistler Centre for Carbohydrate Research, Food Science
Department, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (USA).
1997- 1998 Research Fellow, University of Trieste, Department of Chemical Sciences and
Technologies, Italy.
1998- 2002 Researcher and National delegate for the Ministry of Industry at Brussels ENEA,
Italian Agency for New Technologies, Environment and Energy, CR Casaccia, Rome, Italy.
Teaching
2003-2010: Lecturer in Polymer Science and Laboratory of Physical Chemistry I (Chemistry
and Materials Science School).
Research Areas
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Biomaterials for Drug/Gene Delivery
Design of artificial biomimetic materials, complex polymer structures, micro- and nanosized
gel phases, microbubbles and microcapsules, Layer-by-layer multilayers.
•
Self-assembly and Nano-materials
Supramolecular assembly of natural and synthetic polymers for controlled drug delivery, and
tissue engineering applications.
•
Biocompatible Polymers and Hydrogels
Design, synthesis, and structural studies of novel biodegradable and biocompatible polymers
Honors and Awards
1997 Visiting Scholar Fellowship, Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research, Food
Science Dept, Purdue University, Indiana (USA).
1998 Research Fellowship, University of Trieste, Department of Chemical Sciences and
Technologies, Italy.
2007 Australian Research Council International Linkage Award 2007: Biodegradable
Polymeric Microdevices for Targetd Delivery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Australia,
Prof. Frank Caruso/ Dr. Francesca Cavalieri.
2009
University of Melbourne (AU) Visiting Professor Award., Dr. Francesca Cavalieri/
Prof. Muthupandian Ashokkumar
Participant in Research Projects as coordinator and co-investigator
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IRSES Marie Curie 2010-2013, 7th UE Framework Programme
IRSES Marie Curie 2009-2010, 7th UE Framework Programme
S.I.G.H.T. Strep 6th Framework Programme
GEMI grant 2005/2006 funded by Linde gas
PRIN 2005/2006 funded by Ministry of Education and University
Serving as a reviewer for international scientific journals:
1) Chemistry of Materials
2) Soft Matter
3) Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
4) Chemical Communications
5) Journal of Polymer Science
6) Materials Science and Engineering C
7) Journal of the American Chemical Society
8) Small
Total of Peer-Reviewed Research Publications = 37
In the last 5 years = 19
List of Publications (last 5 years)
2010
The influence of Salt Concentration on the Assembly of DNA Multilayer Films.
Lillian Lee, Francesca Cavalieri, Angus P. R. Johnston, and Frank Caruso. 2010 Langmuir ASAP
2009
Assembly and Functionalization of DNA-Polymer Microcapsules.
Francesca Cavalieri, Almar Postma, Lillian Lee, and Frank Caruso.
2009, ACS Nano, 3, 234.
Sonochemical Synthesis of Liquid-encapsulated Lysozyme Microspheres.
Zhou M., Leong T.S.H, Sonia Melino, Cavalieri F, Kentish S.,Ashokkumar M
Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 2010Feb;17(2): 33-7. Epub 2009 Oct 2.
2008
Ultrasonic Synthesis of Stable Functional Lysozyme Microbubbles
Francesca Cavalieri, Muthupandian Ashokkmar, Franz Grieser, Frank Caruso
Langmuir 2008, 24, 10078
In situ Imaging of Gas-filled Microballoons by soft X-Ray Spectromicroscopy.
Tzevetkov G, Fernandes, Fery A., Cavalieri F. Paradossi G., Fink R. , Soft Matter 2008, 4, 510.
Ashokkumar, M.; Cavalieri, F.; Grieser, F. "Ultrasonic Synthesis of Enzyme Coated Microbubbles."
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2008, 123, 3560.
Novel PVA-Based Hydrogel Microparticles for Doxorubicin Delivery. Cavalieri, F.; Chiessi, E.; Villa,
R.; Viganò, L.; Zaffaroni, N.; Telling, M. F.; Paradossi, G. " Biomacromolecules 2008, 9, 1967.
Microbubbles as (NO) delivery device.
Cavalieri F, Finelli I., Tortora, M, Mozetic P., Chiessi E., Polizio F., B.Brismar T.,Paradossi G. 2008
Chemistry Materials, 2008, 20, 3254-3258.
International Patent 2008 WO 2008/015012 Paradossi G. Cavalieri F. Microbubbles as drug delivery
device
2007
Chaperone-Like Activity of Nanoparticles of Hydrophobized Poly(vinyl alcohol).
Francesca Cavalieri, , Ester Chiessi, Gaio Paradossi. Soft Matter, 2007, 2, 718 – 724
Michael-Type Addition Reactions for the In Situ Formation of Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Based Hydrogels.
Mariarosaria Tortora, Francesca Cavalieri, Ester Chiessi, Gaio Paradossi
Biomacromolecules; 2007; 8(1) pp 209 - 214;
Water and Polymer Dynamics in Chemically Cross-Linked Hydrogels of Poly(vinyl alcohol): A
Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study
Chiessi E., Cavalieri F. Paradossi J. Phys. Chem. B, 111(11), 2820-2827 (2007)
2006
Ligands Tethering to Biocompatible Ultrasound Active Polymeric Microbubbles Surface.
Francesca Cavalieri, Ali El Hamassi, Ester Chiessi and Gaio Paradossi, Raffaella Villa, Nadia
Zaffaroni. Macrom. Symp. 2006, 234, 94-101
Soft Condensed Matter in Pharmaceutical Design. Gaio Paradossi*, Francesca Cavalieri, Ester
Chiessi. Current Pharmaceutical design 2006, 12, 1403-1419.
Tethering Functional Ligands onto Shell of Ultrasound Active Polymeric Microbubbles
Francesca Cavalieri, Ali El Hamassi, Ester Chiessi and Gaio Paradossi, Raffaella Villa, Nadia
Zaffaroni. Biomacromolecules. 2006, 7, 604-611.
Water, Solute, and Segmental Dynamics in Polysaccharides Hydrogel.
F. Cavalieri, E. Chiessi, I. Finelli, F.Natali, G. Paradossi, M.F. Telling.
Macrom. Bioscience, 6, 2006, 579-589.
2005
Stable Polymeric Microballoons as Multifunctional Device for Biomedical Uses: Synthesis and
Characterization.
Francesca Cavalieri, Ali El Hamassi, Ester Chiessi and Gaio Paradossi.
Langmuir 2005, 21, 8758-8764.
Proton Fluctuations and Water Diffusion in Dextran Chemical Hydrogels Studied by Incoherent Elastic
and Quasielastic Neutron Scattering. Gaio Paradossi, Francesca Cavalieri, Ester Chiessi.
Carbohydrate Research.2005, 340, 921-927.
Supercooled Water in PVA Matrixes: II A Molecular Dynamic Simulation Study and Comparison with
QENS Results. Ester Chiessi, Francesca Cavalieri and Gaio Paradossi.
J. Physical Chemistry B, 2005, 109, 8091-8096.