Tomat, Elisa

Some of the common metals that we use for tools and pipes, such as iron and copper, are essential for biological processes including oxygen transport, respiration, DNA biosynthesis, and many others. Motivated and inspired by the biological chemistry of metals, my scientific work spans from fundamental studies of metal-containing molecules and their electronic structures to drug discovery efforts in medicinal inorganic chemistry. In particular, my current research aims at (i) new approaches to target the role of iron and copper in cancer growth, and (ii) new reactivity avenues in metal complexes of naturally occurring pigments. This work contributes to reveal the chemical machinery of human cells and its connection to human disease.

• Chemistry of transition metals in biology and medicine
• Chemical biology and coordination chemistry in anticancer drug design
• Synthesis, reactivity, and spectroscopy of new molecules and metal complexes

• 2001 B.S. Chemistry cum laude, University of Trieste (Italy)
• 2001−2002 Research Associate X-ray Absorption Unit, ELETTRA Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Trieste (Italy)
• 2002−2007 Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas, Austin, TX (USA)
• 2007 Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin (USA)
• 2007−2010 Postdoctoral Associate Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (USA)
• 2010−2017 Assistant Professor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (USA)
• 2017−2022 Associate Professor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (USA)
• 2022−2025 Professor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (USA)
• since October 2025 Professorship in Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna