Francesca Ungaro, Ph.D., is Full Professor of Drug Delivery at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Italy, where she leads a research group focused on the design and development of innovative drug delivery systems. Her main areas of expertise include nanomedicine, pulmonary drug delivery, and RNA-based therapeutics, with particular emphasis on nano- and micro-carriers tailored to overcome biological barriers.

A pharmacist by training, she holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Naples Federico II. Since 2007, she has been investigating novel strategies for the local treatment of severe lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis, serving as Principal Investigator or collaborator in several multicentre projects aimed at exploiting innovative therapeutics for pulmonary delivery.

She has recently served as Local Coordinator of a project funded under the broader framework of the National Research Center for Gene Therapy and RNA-Based Drugs, focused on the design and translational development of inhaled RNA nanoplatforms for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

Her research has resulted in more than 110 peer-reviewed publications, 5 book chapters, and over 150 contributions to scientific conferences and symposia.