BOARD OF DIRECTORS Luigi G. Occhipinti
CEng, PhD
CEO, Founder & Director of Engineering
Luigi has 20-year experience driving research and innovation in high-tech industrial sectors of micro-/nano-electronics, organic electronics, bio-engineering and sensors. Luigi founded CITC Ltd in July 2014 to bridge the gap between micro-, nano- and bio-electronics and health care and to work with partners in emerging fields of engineering and medical sciences.He is Principal Research Associate (PI/Co-I) at the University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering, Electrical Engineering Division. Prior to that Luigi was R&D Programs Director and Senior Group Manager at STMicroelectronics, a major global semiconductor company, leading research teams in Italy, France and Singapore on Heterogeneous Integrated Smart Systems, Flexible and Disposable Electronics and Sensor technologies.
He has pioneered the field of post-silicon technologies, including development and applications of organic and printed electronics, MEMS and bio-MEMS devices, graphene-based flexible electronics, smart sensors and systems heterogeneous integration, chemical and bio-sensors for personalized diagnostics and therapeutics. During his career, Luigi has developed unique achievements in terms of new business creation with strategic customers, new product concepts, and new technology platforms. He has an Electronic Engineering degree and Electrical Engineering PhD, obtained in 1992 and 1996 from Universities of Catania and Rome “Tor Vergata” respectively. Luigi co-authored over 90 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 2 international standards and 37 patent families, and has been the lead investigator of 12 EC-funded collaborative research and innovation programs, and 5 national grants. H-index 24, i10-index 42, citations >4200 (>500 per year) (Google Scholar)
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Stefano Pluchino
MD, PhD
CSO, Director of Healthcare and Co-founder
CITC’s Board member since Dec. 2014, Stefano received MD and PhD degrees from University of Siena, Italy and additional training at Cambridge University. Stefano is University Lecturer in Brain Repair and Honorary Consultant in Neurology at the University of Cambridge (2010), a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Independent Researcher and member of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences. He holds a non-tenured Professorship in Regenerative Neuroscience at the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milano (Italy; 2005-2013) and serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in Neurology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington (USA; since 2008). A major contribution of his studies is the demonstration of immune modulatory functions of somatic neural stem/precursor cells (NSCs). This seminal observation has led to several pre-clinical studies where NSCs injected trough biological routes, such as the bloodstream and the cerebrospinal fluid, protect the nervous system from an accumulation of chronic tissue damage. Current research projects in his laboratory at Cambridge University are exploring the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the therapeutic plasticity of NPCs in complex CNS diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury. While keeping an eye on next generation stem cells, either induced pluripotent stem (iPS) or induced neural stem (iNS) cells that are being tested via classical experimental cell therapy approaches, we are also devoting special attention to the study of the different modalities by which stem cells speak with the brain and with the immune system (neuro/immune interactions). H-index 38, i10-index 62, citations >7540 (Google Scholar).
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Joshua D. Bernstock
PhD
COO
Joshua received his Masters in Biochemistry and Physiology (2009) from Georgetown University, Washington. After which he received an MPH Environmental Health Sciences with concentration in Molecular Toxicology (2010) from Columbia University, New York. Subseqently he received a PhD in Neurosicene (2018) from Cambridge University and is currently udergoing his MD qualification at University of Alabama, Birmingham.
Being a NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholar (University of Cambridge/NINDS Stroke branch) and physician-scientist, Joshua has diverse medical knowledge with expertise in the repositioning of approved drugs, the development/characterization of novel/experimental therapeutics, post-tranlational modifications (i.e. SUMOylation), and translational oncology.
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Jayden A. Smith
PhD
Senior Research Associate and Project Manager
Jayden received his BSc in Chemistry and Computer Science (2003) as well as his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry (2008) from James Cook University (JCU; Australia). Subsequently, he was awarded a two-year IRCSET post-doctoral fellowship at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), where he investigated DNA photooxidation using transition metal complexes as photosensitisers.
Seeking to broaden his research experience, he joined the Department of Clinical Neuroscience/Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (University of Cambridge) as a research associate in 2011. Here he worked on the development of RNA nanotherapeutics for combinatorial applications alongside induced neural stem cell transplantation for repair of the central nervous system.
Having joined CITC Ltd as a Senior Research Associate and Project Manager in 2017, his aim is to leverage this diverse experience in the physical and biological sciences in pursuing new research opportunities for the company. His current project is the daily management of our CUPIDO project, which involves Cardio Ultraefficient nanoParticles for Inhalation of Drug products as an effective strategy for the treatment of Cardiovascular Disease.
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Nicole Harrington
BSc
Head of Operations
Nicole received her BSc in Human Physiology, Genetics and Psychology from the University of Pretoria, South Africa (2011)
She is actively engaged in the maintenance of the CITC Ltd Website as well as the providing information on new ventures, current events and the progression of the various projects that are underway via our Facebook and Twitter Pages.
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