Interview with Dr. Giovanni Ribaudo—Winner of the Pharmaceuticals 2024 Outstanding Reviewer Award

Name: Dr. Giovanni Ribaudo
Affiliation: Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Italy

We wish to congratulate Dr. Giovanni Ribaudo on winning the Pharmaceuticals Outstanding Reviewer Award. We had the pleasure of inviting him for this interview, in which we learned more about his background, views, and interests.

The following is a brief interview with Dr. Giovanni Ribaudo:

1. Could you give a brief introduction of yourself to our readers? What’s your current research area?
I graduated with a Ph.D. in 2015 from the University of Padova (Italy) after carrying out part of my research activity at the State University of New York (USA). Since 2019, I have been part of the Medicinal Chemistry Lab at the Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine of the University of Brescia (Italy), where I currently work as Assistant Professor. My research interests are focused on synthetic and analytical aspects of medicinal chemistry, with the aim of developing hybrid computational and experimental drug-discovery workflows.

2. What factors motivate you to be a reviewer for Pharmaceuticals?
I am convinced that, in the work of an academic, laboratory research and editorial activity should proceed in parallel. In particular, I believe that reviewing manuscripts should be considered an ethical part of our job, allowing us to contribute to the progress and dissemination of scientific results.

3. Could you please share with us your experience as a reviewer for Pharmaceuticals?
Medicinal chemistry is my field of research, and Pharmaceuticals publishes papers within this topic. In my activity as a reviewer, I put my best efforts into providing fair and complete reports for all the journals that request my contribution for papers within my area of expertise.

4. What are the key factors and aspects that you consider most when reviewing a manuscript?
In the era of evolving technologies and the rise in AI-based methods, I believe that the importance of the contribution of reviewers is constantly growing. When reviewing a manuscript, the scientific soundness, accuracy, and detail of experimental methods, as well as whether the discussion is clear and the results logically deducible from data, should be strictly evaluated. Besides, I personally believe that polished style and a high-quality graphical representation of results should be required as a form of respect for the reader and for the standards of the journal.

5. As the winner of this award, would you like to take a moment to share your thoughts with our readers or express gratitude towards those who have played a significant role in your research accomplishments?
The results obtained so far in my career would not have been possible without the help of my professors, colleagues and students, to whom I am thankful.