Bio-Click Chemistry: Expanding Horizons Beyond the Click

In 2012, Prof. Zacconi became Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Chemistry at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Chile). Currently, her Associate Professor position is shared between the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy and the Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering (IIBM). Moreover, Dr. Zacconi has a research experience of more than 11 years in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry and biomaterials, while working in the field of chemical synthesis, structural analyses, drug design, and materials. Dr. Zacconi’s research focuses on the intersections of organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, engineering and biological chemistry, developing multi- and interdisciplinary research to understand the complexity in the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of bioactive compounds. Besides, Prof. Zacconi is an Associate Researcher at the Research Center for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (CIEN-UC). Additionally, Dr. Zacconi acts as a reviewer for international journals and she has published research papers, book chapters, books and reviews.

Dr Prasher, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, has research experience of 8 years in medicinal chemistry and biomaterials, while working in the field of anti-inflammatory and anticancer chemotherapy. The research team led by Dr. Prasher focuses on the development of rationally designed molecules for targeting various disorders, including inflammation, cancer, and antimicrobial MDR, which also includes the Identification of novel pharmacophores, chemical moieties and APIs for developing the potential chemotherapeutics. With inspiring national/ international collaborations, Dr. Prasher has published more than 45 peer reviewed publications, and >10 book chapters in the journals of repute. Dr. Prasher serves as reviewer for reputed journals published by Elsevier, ACS, RSC and Springer publishers, with the status “Recognized reviewer. Dr. Prasher has been a recipient of the prestigious Junior/ Senior Research Fellowship by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India (2012-2015). Dr. Prasher received ‘Lectureship’ award by the Government of India (2012).

Kamal Dua is an Associate Professor in the Discipline of Pharmacy at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Dr Dua has been recognised and named as one of Australia’s Top 250 researchers in 2025 and 2024 in Research Magazine by “The Australian in the research discipline of Health and Medical sciences, and #1/research leader in the area of Pharmacology and Pharmacy (2025) and Toxicology (2024) respectively. With over 17 years of research experience, he has specialised in drug delivery targeting inflammatory diseases. Additionally, Dr Dua also leads drug delivery research at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. In this role, he focuses on advancing targets identified in research projects to develop innovative formulations, taking the first steps toward clinical translation. Dr Dua’s research encompasses two complementary areas: drug delivery and immunology. His work explores how these disciplines can mutually benefit, contributing to the goal of promoting longer and healthier lives for the community. His commitment to synergy is reflected in his extensive publication record in reputable journals. Dr Dua’s research interests are centered on harnessing the pharmaceutical potential of modulating critical regulators, such as interleukins and microRNAs. He also specialises in developing new and effective drug delivery formulations for managing inflammation in chronic airway diseases and cancer.