Bice Conti, is currently full professor of pharmaceutics at the Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia. She got MSc in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology and postgraduate degree in Industrial Pharmacy. She teaches Pharmaceutical Technology and Regulatory aspects of drug products at Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology, and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology master courses. She an organizer of the European Master Joint Master Degree Nanomedicine for drug delivery (NANOMED).

Her scientific research focuses on drug delivery mainly by nanoparticulate drug delivery systems, and on biodegradable polymers for biomedical applications and tissue engineering applications, their processing and physicochemical characterization by e.g. Gel permeation Chromatography (GPC), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). 

In these years, she carried on collaborations with Italian and international academics, and with pharmaceutical and medical devices companies such as Ceva-Vetem (Agrate Brianza, Italy), Rottapharm Biotec (Monza, Italy), US-WorldMeds (Louisville, USA), Geistlich Pharma AG (Root-Langenbold CH). She is a member of International scientific associations and Italian: CRS, AAPS, AFI, ADRITELF. She was President of CRS Italian Chapter from 2014 to 2016.

Graduated in Pharmacy (University of Catania) in 1985. Director of the Department of Drug Siences of the University of Catania. Scientific Coordinator of NANO-i (Research Centre for Ocular Nanotechnology, University of Catania); member of CERFO (Center for Research in Ocular Pharmacology, University of Catania) and of the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Diagnosis and Therapy of Brain Tumors, at the University of Catania. Independent expert for various funding bodies, among which the Italian Minister of University - MIUR), European Commission, Lazio Innova.

Research interests regard pre-formulation studies, formulation development and scale-up of innovative pharmaceutical dosage forms, mainly involving nanotechnological approaches (nanoparticles, lipid nanocarriers, liposomes, nanomicelles, etc.) aimed in particular at a controlled drug release/targeting to brain, eye and colon. Collaborated with various companies (SIFI, Fidia, SOOFT Italia, Medivis, Bausch & Lomb, Dr. Reddy's, MDM) through the development of studies on common interests. Member of CRS (Controlled Release Society) Italy chapter, AFI (Associazione Farmaceutici dell’ Industria), ADRITELF, SCI (Italian Chemistry Society) (Division of Pharmaceutical Technology) and author of about 170 scientific publications.

Giuseppe De Rosa is associate professor at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II. The scientific activity can be summarized as design and development of drug delivery systems based on micro- and nanotechnologies. More in detail, the research activity is focused on the development of liposomes and other lipid-based nanovectors (e.g. self-assembling nanoparticles) for delivery of drugs especially designed for systemic administration. The scientific production is described in about 95 papers (H-index: 32) on international journals, 4 book chapters and different patent applications (with granted PCT, US and EU patent). One of the products patented and in development received the orphan designation by European Medicine Agency and by the Food and Drug Administration in 2016. For his research activity, G. De Rosa received different financial support, among them one by MIUR (Italian Minister for the University and Research), Ministero della Salute (Italian Minister of Health) and the Phospholipid Research Center of Heidelberg (Germany).

G. De Rosa is Editor in Chief, co-Editor, Guest Editor, and member of the Editorial Board of different journals in the field of drug delivery and pharmaceutics. He also collaborates as referee with several international journals. G. De Rosa received different awards, among them the international ADRITELF award 2020, two awards by the Italian association of pharmaceutical industry (Associazione Farmaceutici Industria or AFI) for the best presented work during the Annual Symposyium AFI in June 2011 and 2013, respectively. G. De Rosa is member of the Board ADRITELF, member of the Board of the Divisione di Tecnologia Farmaceutica – Società Chimica Italiana, and he was member of the Board of the Controlled Release Society (CRS) Italy Chapter.

Silvia Arpicco is full professor of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology at the Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino. Graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology in 1992 and obtained the Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1998.

Her research activity mainly concerns the delivery of cytotoxic compounds (small molecules, nucleic acid or proteins) with liposomes or nanoparticles and the conjugation with proteins and polymers and the association with targeting moieties able to specifically recognize tumoral antigens expressed on cancer cell surface. For the synthesis of different targeted systems developed, sophisticated chemistry was used to link the toxin, the drug or the nanovector rationally to the targeting system. It was possible to modulate the nature of this link (such as its chemical or biological stability) so that the conjugate can be sufficiently stable in the plasma in vivo and will only be released close to the target site or cell. The work was developed in a highly multidisciplinary environment and her research group acted as a link among national and international groups working in the medical, biochemical and pharmacological fields She is a member of the committee Controlled Release Society - Italy Chapter, member of the Interdipartimental Center NIS (Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces) (University of Turin) and member of the Associazione Docenti e Ricercatori Italiani di Tecnologie e Legislazione Farmaceutiche (ADRITELF).

Pietro Matricardi is Associate Professor at the Sapienza University of Roma, Italy. His research activity is focused on the development of new materials based on polysaccharides for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. In this respect, he carries out researches on macro and micro hydrogel systems, on tablets, microspheres and self-assembling polysaccharide nanohydrogels. Among the various hydrogel systems, particular attention is devoted to Interpenetrating Polymer Networks based on polysaccharides or polysaccharide/synthetic polymer systems.

He is currently teacher of "Pharmaceutical Technology" and “Nanotechnology” (formerly teacher of “Macromolecules”) at Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome.

Pietro Matricardi earned his M.Sc. (Laurea) in Chemistry (1989) and his Ph.D. (1993) from the Sapienza University of Rome. In 1993 he joined the Lepetit Group in the Anagni site within the analytical development unit. In 1994 he moved to the risk assessment unit of INAIL, the Italian public company for the insurance against accident at work and work related diseases. In 2004 he joined the Drug Chemistry and Technologies Department, Sapienza University of Rome, serving as Associate Professor.

Pietro Matricardi is guest Editor and member of the Editorial Board of journals in the field of drug delivery and pharmaceutics. He has published over 90 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and 5 patents, participating as lecturer at many conferences, writing a book and some book chapters.

Franco Alhaique is professor emeritus at “La Sapienza” University of Rome, where he taught pharmaceutical technology for many years. At present he is lecturer of the same course at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. His main scientific interests include polysaccharide hydrogels and vesicles for drug delivery/targeting. The results of his studies were published in over 200 papers. He serves on the editorial board of several international journals.