Members of the Borgini Group 

Matteo Borgini, PhD

Dr. Borgini completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Siena, Italy, in 2015 and subsequently earned his Ph.D. in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences under the guidance of Professor Maurizio Botta. Throughout his doctoral research, he focused on synthesizing epigenetic modulators with anticancer properties, developing host protein inhibitors as antiviral compounds, and creating novel antifungal and antibacterial drugs. Following his Ph.D., Dr. Borgini undertook postdoctoral studies with Professor Peter Wipf at the University of Pittsburgh. During this period, he pioneered new methods for accessing fluorinated and 13C-labeled amino acids through C-H functionalization. He also worked on the synthesis of complex heterocyclic compounds using transition-metal catalyzed annulative cleavage of bicyclo[1.1.0]butane dihydroquinolines and dihydropyridines. Additionally, he contributed to the development of mitochondria-targeted PARP-1 inhibitor prodrugs with potential applications in neuroprotection. Currently, Dr. Borgini has embarked on his independent career as an Assistant Professor in Medicinal Chemistry at Augusta University within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In the Borgini Lab, the focus of Drug Discovery is directed toward finding innovative ways to chemically modulate biological targets that are traditionally deemed "undruggable". The lab aims to advance medicinal chemistry tools, particularly in the realms of Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitors and Covalent Inhibitors.

Lindsey Davis, PhD

Dr. Lindsey Davis received her Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Berry College (2005) and PhD from Wake Forest University (2009). She started her independent career at Berry College (2009-2022), where she was an Associate Professor and served as the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. She joined the faculty of Augusta University as an adjunct instructor in 2023, teaching organic chemistry labs. Her research interests include the development of novel bioorthogonal reactions and their applications in chemical biology and the use of allene substrates to synthesize compounds with use in medicinal chemistry. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, playing with her dog Myrtis, and winning MarioKart.

Karis Texidor

Karis Texidor received her Bachelor of Science in chemistry with secondary education from Augusta State University in 2011. She taught high school chemistry for 10 years before returning to Augusta University to obtain her Masters of Biomolecular Science in Medicinal Chemistry. After graduating in 2025, Karis joined Augusta University faculty as a general chemistry lecturer. Her research interests include designing high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) kinetic assays and expanding her knowledge on HPLC purification techniques for small molecules and peptides. In her free time, Karis enjoys sending time outside with her daughter and three dogs.