Verena Battisti is a senior postdoctoral researcher and team lead at the University of Vienna's Cheminformatics Research Group. Specializing in drug discovery, her research includes hit identification, molecular design, synthesis, lead optimization, and essential in vitro and in vivo assays. Further, her research focuses on Computer Aided Drug Design (CADD) and AI-driven chemoinformatics, facilitating interdisciplinary scientific methods to develop small-molecule inhibitors with antiviral activity. 

In 2017, Verena obtained her Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Vienna, specializing in medicinal chemistry and drug development. During her master's program, she conducted research in anticancer pharmaceutical chemistry, focusing on designing and synthesizing Calothrixin analogues, and graduated with distinction.

Verena's primary research area focuses on the development of small-molecule inhibitors with antiviral activity, particularly with anti-Chikungunya activity. Within her PhD project, she performed a hit-to-lead and lead optimization, specializing in computational and medicinal chemistry. Further, she coordinated the biological and essential in vitro assays to thoroughly assess critical ADMET characteristics in early drug development. Verena completed her PhD program with distinction in November 2022. Subsequently, she assumed the role of Senior Post-Doc at the Chemoinformatic Research Group at the University of Vienna, where she is now focused on AI-driven chemoinformatics.

In addition to her research, Verena actively contributes to the scientific community by serving as a reviewer for esteemed publications and organizing and coordinating scientific communications. Furthermore, she is involved in teaching activities at the University of Vienna.

Researchgate: www.researchgate.net/profile/Verena-Battisti

ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9794-366X

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/verena-battisti/