DrClaudia Contini

Claudia Contini is a BBSRC Discovery Fellow and Lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences.

Her research group explores how molecules, macromolecules, vesicles, and both biological and synthetic components can be combined to create life-like behaviours and bio-inspired biotechnologies. Using a bottom-up approach, we design synthetic cells and minimal systems that mimic biological complexity. By integrating soft matter, physical chemistry, and biochemistry principles, our work bridges physical sciences, engineering, and biomedical sciences, enabling us to unravel fundamental biological principles and develop innovative bio-inspired technologies.

Visit the Contini Lab website for more information: https://continilab.com

If you are interested in Claudia Contini's research programme and would like to learn more about opportunities to join the research group, contact directly: c.contini@imperial.ac.uk .

Applications from excellent and enthusiastic students worldwide are welcome! Feel free to get in touch to learn about possible vacancies.


SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Before this appointment, CLAUDIA held positions as a Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, a L’Oréal and UNESCO UK Women in Science Engineering Fellow, and an ISSF Springboard Fellow at Imperial College London, where she worked on bio-inspired soft matter systems for synthetic biology and drug delivery.
Claudia's earlier research as a Research Associate at Imperial College London, explored nanomaterials' interactions with model biological systems under the EU's Horizon 2020 programme. She completed her PhD in Physical Chemistry at UCL in 2017, where she developed expertise in polymeric nanoparticles for drug delivery and nanoreactor applications. Before her postgraduate studies, Claudia earned an MRes Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technologies at the University of Padua.

Claudia is an Executive and Steering Committee Member of fabriCELL.
Outside academia, she is co-Director of AISUK and IUPAC National Representative for the Physical and Biophysical Chemistry Division I.


Awards

Director of AISUK // 2021 - Nominated co-Director of the Association of the Italian Scientists in the UK. The Association promotes scientific collaborations between the Italian and British academic institutions and research centres in the public and private sectors.

Italy Made Me // 2019 - Award assigned from the Italian Embassy in London to Italian researchers operating in the United Kingdom, who received part of their education in Italy, in recognition of innovative research in "Motile Synthetic Vesicles".

ISSF Springboard Fellowship // 2019 - A fully funded research project from the Wellcome Trust and Imperial College London based at the Department of Chemistry and in collaboration with the Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London.

Winner of the PFDC Reps Individual award // 2019 - Recognition given by the Provost of Imperial College London, Prof. Ian Walmsley, in recognition of the significant contribution as Postdoc and Fellow Representative in the Chemistry Department at Imperial College London.

Runner up PFDC Team Award // 2018 - Recognition of the significant contributions as PFDC Reps in the Chemistry Department at Imperial College London.