CONICET Researcher
Mario David Martínez, PhD
Licenciado en Ciencias Químicas (2009)
Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)
Doctor en Ciencias Químicas (2015)
Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)
Overview
Mario was born in Buenos Aires in 1985. He has always been a curious person with a strong interest in science. As an undergraduate chemistry student at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), he worked on multidisciplinary projects related to medicinal chemistry and drug discovery under the guidance of Prof. Burton and his research group. It was there that Mario decided to pursue a PhD. A highlight of his doctoral research was his work on non-classical bioisosteric replacement of phenolics -OH by -CF2H moiety. Mario was able to develop a robust, versatile and scalable synthetic methodology aimed at generating biologically active compounds that were tested as antioxidants and antibacterial drugs. After earning his PhD degree, he stayed at the UBA for one year, working as a postdoctoral researcher on the design and synthesis of a series of cholanamides as modulators of the liver X receptors, which are involved in atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer disease for example. In October 2016, Mario moved to the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) in Spain, where he worked for two years with Prof. Kilian Muñiz (1970-2020) as a postdoctoral researcher. During this time, he contributed to the development of novel C(sp3)-H functionalization reactions based on nitrogen compounds. He also provided guidance and training to master’s and PhD students in the group. He then moved to the ICIQ technology development unit CRYSFORMA as a project researcher, where his investigation focused on pharmaceutical solid state development and its transfer to industry. Mario returned to Argentina in 2019 through the CONICET Repatriation Program. Currently he holds a position as CONICET Researcher and his studies focus on the use of radical chemistry to achieve targeted C(sp3)-H functionalization in steroidal scaffolds and other relevant biomolecules.
Selected publications
• Duhamel, T.; Martínez, M. D.; Sideri, I. K. and Muñiz, K. 1,3-Diamine Formation from an Interrupted Hofmann–Löffler Reaction: Iodine Catalyst Turnover through Ritter-Type Amination (2019) ACS Catalysis. DOI:10.1021/acscatal.9b01566
• Martínez, M. D.; Ghini, A. A.; Dansey, M. V.; Veleiro, A. S.; Pecci, A.; Alvarez, L. D. and Burton, G. Synthesis and activity evaluation of a series of cholanamides as modulators of the liver X receptors (2018) Bioorganic Med. Chem. DOI:10.1016/j.bmc.2018.01.025
• Del Castillo, E. ¥ ; Martínez, M. D.¥; Bosnidou, A.; Duhamel, T.; O’Broin, C.; Zhang, H.; EscuderoAdán, E.; Martínez-Belmonte, M. and Muniz, K. Multiple Halogenation of Aliphatic C‐H Bonds within the Hofmann‐Löffler Manifold (2018) Chem. Eur. J. DOI:10.1002/chem.201804504
• Martínez, M. D.; Luna, L.; Tesio, A. Y.; Feresin, G. E.; Durán, F. J. and Burton, G.; Antioxidant properties in a non-polar environment of difluoromethyl bioisosteres of methyl hydroxycinnamates (2016) Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. DOI:10.1111/jphp.12507