Prof. Dr. David C. Magri

B.Sc. Hons. (Chem), Ph.D. (The University of Western Ontario)

Post-doctorate Research Fellow (Queen's University Belfast) 

Room 113, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

David C. Magri is a Full Professor of Chemistry (2021).  He is a leading expert in the field of luminescent sensing and molecular logic gates with the distinction of having the “Most Cited Paper in Tetrahedron 2005-2008”, which has been cited over 1000 times to date.  His current research interests are the rational design and synthesis of novel luminescent molecular logic gates and nanomaterials with useful functional capabilities that combine sensing, computing and functionality for potential real-life applications. Current research themes are the use of fluorescent molecular logic gates for the early detection of corrosion, and as cytotoxicity and fluorescent imaging agents in cancers cells.  The multidisciplinary research program involves the synthesis and characterization of organic molecules and materials, the application of Boolean algebra, and the application of analytical tools including UV-visible, fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy.  

He is a graduate of University of Western Ontario (now known as Western University) in London, Canada  with a B.Sc. Honors in Chemistry in 1998 and a Ph.D. in 2004 for his thesis entitled: "Kinetics and Mechanisms of the Electrochemical and Photochemical Dissociative Electron Transfer Reduction of Dialkyl Peroxides and Endoperoxides".  His graduation year was the start of a six-year odyssey beginning with an enlightening two-year post-doctoral appointment as a Research Fellow at Queen’s University of Belfast in Northern Ireland. While in Belfast working with Prof. A. P. de Silva, he demonstrated the first molecular three-input AND logic gate as a 'lab-on-a-molecule' prototype for medical diagnostic application (2006 JACS, cited 350 times).  After a farewell holiday commencing in Venice and ending in Malta, he returned to Canada as an Assistant Professor at the University of Prince Edward Island (2006-2007), the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (2007-2008) and at prestigious Acadia University (2008-2010). David joined the University of Malta in September 2010 as a Senior Lecturer and promoted to Associate Professor in 2015.

He is the recipient of the 2014 Malta Science Innovation Award (first place), 2015 WIPO Medal for Inventors, and 2019 Malta Science Innovation Award (second place), He has been Malta’s representative on COST Action CM1005 "Supramolecular Chemistry in Water"  and COST Action CA15135 "Multi-targeted ligand drugs, MuTaLig", and currently COST Action CA21111 One Health drugs against parasitic vector borne diseases in Europe and beyond, OneHealthDrugs. He was an Associate Editor (2012-2018) and a Senior Editor (2019-2022) of Xjenza Online, and co-founder and coordinator of Science in the House for 8 years (2011-2019).  He is the author of over 60 peer-reviewed papers, 4 book chapters and 1 patent granted.