Research interest

Thermodynamics of complex formation processes. Solution structure of metal complexes. Biotransformation processes.

Interaction of various bioactive molecules: amino acids and their derivatives, oligopeptides, aminophosphonates, aliphatic and aromatic hydroxycarbonates, catecholamines, etc. with essential and toxic metal ions [Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), V(IV/V), Fe(III), Al(III)].

Current interests:
        Metal ion chelators used in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases
        Antidiabetic vanadium-, and zinc complexes
        Antitumor metal complexes        

Scientific collaborations

Prof. Joao Costa Pessoa, Centro de Quimica Estrutural Complexo I, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa, Portugal
Prof. Hiromu Sakurai, Suzuka University, Japan
Prof. Bernhard K. Keppler, University of Vienna, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry
Prof. Vladimir Arion, University of Vienna, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry

Dr. Valerio di Marco, University of Padova, Italy
Prof. Athanoasios Salifoglou, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
Dr. Roberta Bertani, CNR Centre, Department of Chemistry and Technology, University of Padova, Italy
Dr. Akira Odani, Department of Chemistry, Kanazawa University, Japan

Prof. Henryk Kozlowski, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
Prof. Giovanni Micera, Department of Chemistry, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Prof. R. Bruce Martin, Chemistry Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA
Prof. Giorgio Bombi, Department of Chemsitry, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
Prof. Benedetto Corain, Department of Chemistry, University L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
Prof. Paolo Zatta, CNR Centre, Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
Prof. Patrick Decock, Department of Chemistry, University of Littoral, Dunkerque, France
Prof. Ivano Bertini, University of Florence, Italy
Prof. Debbie C. Crans, Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA
Prof. Dieter Rehder, Institute of Inorganic and Applied Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

Foreign institutions visited
University of Dundee, UK. (1977-78, SRC grant),
University of Wroclaw, Poland (1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1996)
University of Lille, France (1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994)
University of Sassari, Italy (1988, 1991, 1993, 1995),
Imperial College, London, UK. (1991, 1997),
University of Siena, Italy (1991),
University of Parma, Italy, (1991),
University of Valencia, Spain (1991, 1993),
University of Oulu, Finland (1992),
University of Umea, Sweden (1992),
University of Padua, Italy (1993 COST grant, 1995, 1999, 2003),
University of Dunkerque, France (1994, 1995, 1997,1999, 2001),
University of Virginia, USA (1994),
Virginia Commonwealth University, USA (1994),
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada (1995)
University of Nagoya, Japan (1997, 1999, 2004)
University of Kyoto, Japan (1997)
Pharmaceutical University of Kyoto, Japan (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003)
Ibaraki University, Mito, Japan (1999)
Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan (2001)
Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002)
University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece (1999, 2000, 2002)
University of Florence, Italy (2001, 2002)
University of Padona (2007, 2009, 2011, 2012)
University of Nagoya (2008)
University of Thesaloniki (2009, 2011)
University of Vienna, Austria (2009, 2013)