Spotlight on IUPAC Young Observers

Daniel (Dan) Reddy; Fabiana Piscitelli; Elisa Carignani

doi:10.1515/ci-2025-0405

Artikel Open Access

Spotlight on IUPAC Young Observers

Daniel (Dan) Reddy
series convenor

Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; YO 2023

Daniel (Dan) Reddy (daniel.reddy@queensu.ca), orcid.org/0000-0002-2496-4520
, Fabiana Piscitelli
Fabiana Piscitelli (fpiscitelli@icb.cnr.it), orcid.org/0000-0001-9343-4622
und Elisa Carignani
Elisa Carignani (elisa.carignani@pi.iccom.cnr.it), orcid.org/0000-0001-5848-9660

Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 29. Oktober 2025

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Aus der Zeitschrift Chemistry International Band 47 Heft 4

Abstract

Last year, I was fortunate to be able to shine an spotlight on two recent IUPAC Young Observers (YOs), Silvina Di Pietro and Tien Thuy Quach, with whom I have had the pleasure of interacting through IUPAC and other organizations ( Chem Int. Oct 2024, p.6). Through the spotlight article, Silvi and Tien were able to share the impact of serving as an IUPAC YO, as well as IUPAC initiatives about which they are interested and passionate. In this spotlight, we asked two YOs from Italy, Fabiana Piscitelli and Elisa Carignani, to share their thoughts on how chemistry can be viewed as a globally-engaged science. Directly following is a feature introducing the U.S. YO who participated in IUPAC 2025.

In each piece, the YOs are invited to respond to the following four prompts:

1) Tell us about yourself (e.g., Your hometown/country, where you go to school/work, your current role, etc.) and if this is your first time as a Young Observer.

2) Describe some of your favorite/transformative/valuable experiences in your role as a YO at the IUPAC World Chemistry Congress/General Assembly (GA).

3) How will you use these experience(s) as you progress, and how might you advise/encourage individuals who are hoping to serve as YOs and/or become involved within the broader chemical community, especially IUPAC? and

4) If you had a couple hours each week to contribute to IUPAC, to which project (already initiated or not yet started), would you contribute these hours?

IUPAC is far more than just nomenclature and rules

My name is Fabiana Piscitelli, and I am from the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) in Pozzuoli (Naples). I graduated in Chemistry from the University of Naples “Federico II,” and I received a Ph.D. in Neurobiology at the University of Insubria in Busto Arsizio (Varese) in January 2013. During my Ph.D., I spent some months as a visiting student at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla (San Diego, California USA). I am currently a Senior Researcher, which is equivalent to an Associate Professor in academia, at ICB-CNR, where I focus my research activities in analytical chemistry and biochemistry for human health. I was selected as one of the Italian YOs in 2021, and due to the travel restrictions from COVID-19, the IUPAC General Assembly (GA)/Congress went virtual that year. However, I had the chance to participate in the meetings of Divisions III (Organic and Biomolecular), V (Analytical) and VII (Human Health), as well as several committees. Then, in 2023, I attended my first GA in-person in the Netherlands.

I am really active in scientific dissemination and outreach activities for schools and/or the general public. Therefore, I took the opportunity to be a YO as a unique chance to connect and network! My favorite experience as a YO was the meeting of Division V (Analytical Chemistry) at the 2023 GA, where I could meet people in-person whom I had met only virtually two years prior as a YO; the 2023 GA was also my first chance to engage with my IUPAC project in-person.

One of the benefits of attending an event like IUPAC is the feeling that everyone is welcomed, a sensation of total inclusion with no barrier(s), geographically and/or gender, etc. In IUPAC, you can freely share your ideas, and everyone is happy to help you to foster your project/collaboration. IUPAC is far more than just nomenclature and rules!

This experience led me to propose a project as Task Chair, and this opportunity provides me with a lot of new collaborations and networking avenues. Moreover, I have supported the activities of the Subcommittee on Publications and Editorial Board, engaging with relevant tasks. Furthermore, I became an associate member of Division V, and we are organizing a workshop for the project that I chair (https://iupac.org/project/2021-036-1-500). Therefore, I strongly encourage young people to serve as YOs and join Division and Committee meetings and activities to gain a better understanding of IUPAC’s mission, as well as advance chemical knowledge.

To foster IUPAC knowledge in the world during the years in which I have been involved, I have tried to connect IUPAC with Italian entities and organizations by endorsing national events and activities. In fact this December, I will organize the Joint IUPAC- Mass Spectrometry Division of the Italian Chemical Society (DSM) Workshop on LC-MS method validation and performance (https://www.spettrometriadimassa.it/Congressi/MethodsValidation2025/index.html), thanks to support from DSM, CNR, and IUPAC. Dissemination of IUPAC’s mission and vision has become one of my main activities, and I hope that the younger generation of chemists will join us and be part of this beautiful community!

IUPAC value in gaining a broad perspective

My name is Elisa Carignani. I graduated in Chemistry from the University of Pisa and received a Ph.D. in Chemical Sciences from the same university. I have worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southampton (United Kingston), the University of Pisa, and the Italian National Research Council (CNR), where I am currently a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds (ICCOM). Since my undergraduate studies, my main research interest has been the development of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) methods and their applications, particularly in the study of solid materials for diverse purposes, ranging from pharmaceuticals to energy and environmental applications. I was selected by the Italian NAO as a IUPAC Young Observer in 2021, and I attended the IUPAC General Assembly (GA) and Congress virtually that year. Despite the limitations of the online format, it was an extremely valuable experience, during which I had the opportunity to attend meetings of Divisions I (Physical and Biophysical), IV (Polymer), and VI (Chemistry and the Environment), as well as the CHEMRAWN Committee (Chemistry for Applied World Needs). Following this opportunity, my activities as a YO focused on Division VI and the CHEMRAWN. Two years later, I had the chance to attend the 2023 General Assembly and World Chemistry Congress in The Hague (Netherlands).

Both the 2021 virtual and the 2023 in-person GAs were incredible experiences for me. During the 2021 GA, I was introduced to IUPAC and immediately felt that I was part of a global organization. It was particularly valuable for my research to gain a broad perspective on diverse and interdisciplinary topics, which allowed me to see the bigger picture. Another invaluable aspect was the opportunity to meet top-level scientists who were open and interested in exchanging ideas and collaborating to advance IUPAC’s mission. The networking was definitely more intense and productive in The Hague, where in-person interaction made a significant difference. Importantly, I deepened my involvement with Division VI and CHEMRAWN, which led to the development of a IUPAC project that I am currently co-chairing. Collaborating with other Young Observers from various countries was also a great experience; it strengthened my commitment to IUPAC and boosted my confidence in proposing new ideas.

In my opinion, the most valuable benefit of attending and networking at a global event like the IUPAC GA and Congress was gaining a broad perspective. There are few opportunities like IUPAC to hear from leading chemists who are eager to share their vision and views on major topics of global importance. Beyond high-quality science, I believe that understanding the global context truly makes a difference. Moreover, at the 2023 GA, there were many informal opportunities to engage with scientists at various career stages and from diverse scientific and cultural backgrounds. These conversations were both inspiring and insightful, offering different perspectives on some of the challenges that we all face in research/work.

All of the experiences that I have gained through IUPAC meetings and GAs have been valuable for my professional development. In particular, I will apply the skills that I have developed in organizing events and hosting meetings. Observing skilled, high-level professionals has also been instrumental in helping me to understand different styles of leadership and organization. As I mentioned, I am currently co-chairing the IUPAC project 2023-017-2-600 (https://iupac.org/project/2023-017-2-600/), “Develop Solid State NMR Potential for Environmental Protection and Sustainability.” This project has been an invaluable experience, teaching me the importance of teamwork and new strategies for engaging with colleagues around the world; I strongly encourage young chemists to get involved in IUPAC projects and activities. The best way to start is by being proactive: Participate in meetings, ask questions, share your opinions, etc., and do not be afraid to speak up.

There are several truly fascinating IUPAC projects, and one of my favorites is the project about open science and open data (https://iupac.org/project/2022-012-1-024). Although I am not an expert in this field, I find the project incredibly valuable as a stakeholder. As noted earlier, my main commitment at the moment is the project “Develop Solid State NMR Potential for Environmental Protection and Sustainability.” Together with my co-chair, Dr. Silvia Borsacchi, and the entire task group, we are organizing a symposium within the scope of this project for the upcoming 2025 IUPAC World Chemistry Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

About the authors

Daniel (Dan) Reddy

series convenor

Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; YO 2023

Daniel (Dan) Reddy (daniel.reddy@queensu.ca), orcid.org/0000-0002-2496-4520

Fabiana Piscitelli

Fabiana Piscitelli (fpiscitelli@icb.cnr.it), orcid.org/0000-0001-9343-4622

Elisa Carignani

Elisa Carignani (elisa.carignani@pi.iccom.cnr.it), orcid.org/0000-0001-5848-9660

Published Online: 2025-10-29

Published in Print: 2025-10-01

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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