Andreea L. Turcu, PhD (PI)

Andreea L. Turcu, PhD

aturcu@ub.edu
Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry,

Av. Juan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences
University of Barcelona

Tel. +34 934024533

ORCID: 0000-0001-9732-2249
Scopus Author ID: 5703430750

Andreea Turcu is a Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Medicinal Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB).

She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from UB in 2015 and completed her PhD in Organic Chemistry with honors and an international mention in 2021, under the supervision of Dr. Santiago Vázquez and Dr. David Soto del Cerro. Her doctoral research focused on designing novel ligands for ionotropic receptors (NMDA and P2X7) as potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). During her PhD, she undertook two short research stays: one at the University of Rovira i Virgili (Spain) in Dr. Francesc X. Sureda’s group, and another at Institut Curie (France) in Dr. Raphaël Rodriguez’s group, gaining experience in synthesis and biological assays.

Following her PhD, Andreea pursued a postdoctoral position at UB, where she worked on the design and synthesis of anti-coronavirus agents. She later transitioned to R&D at Biopharma Synergies S.L., where she worked as Project Manager for two years.

Andreea has a multidisciplinary background spanning organic and medicinal chemistry synthesis, electrophysiology (Patch Clamp Whole Cells), and IC50 determination in cell cultures. She also collaborates with industry, leading projects focused on the detection, identification, and synthesis of impurities in active pharmaceutical ingredients and final products.

She has participated in multiple research projects from public funding agencies and in several research contracts with Spanish companies. She is the co-inventor of two patent applications, one of which has been extended in various countries and licensed to a U.S. company.

 

On the teaching front, her teaching activities at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences are related to the  Organic Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry subjects.  She is also a member of a consolidated teaching innovation group focused on integrating final-year pharmacy students into pharmaceutical companies. Additionaly,  Andreea is also mentor for pharmacy undergraduates as part of the "Plan de Acción Tutorial".

Alba López

PhD student

She is graduated in Pharmacy from the University of Barcelona, specialized in industrial pharmacy and pharmaceutical research. In June 2021, she joined the group of Dr. Santiago Vázquez as an undergraduate student, where she gained practical experience in synthetic methods and basic laboratory techniques in organic chemistry. In September 2023, she began her Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Santiago Vázquez and Dra. Andreea L. Turcu. Her research focuses on designing, synthesizing, and evaluating new drugs with innovative mechanisms to treat different types of chronic pain and neurodegenerative diseases.

 

Nandita Sangwan

Erasmus student

Nandita graduated with a degree in Chemistry from Manipal University Jaipur, India. In the summer of 2022, she moved to Germany to pursue her postgraduate studies at Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, where she gained experience in biochemistry, organic chemistry, and their laboratory techniques. In 2024, she completed her Master’s thesis under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Christa E. Müller, focusing on the synthesis of allosteric ecto-nucleotidase inhibitors. To further develop her expertise in medicinal chemistry and organic synthesis, she moved to Barcelona as a research intern under the guidance of Dr. Andreea L. Turcu.