Marco obtained his Master’s degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology (2011) at the University of Milan (Italy). An internship at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (South Korea) led him to undertake a research career. He then moved to the University of East Anglia for his doctoral training under the supervision of Dr Susan E. Matthews.

His thesis work revolved around the evaluation of resorcinol based structures as dendrimer cores, antimicrobials and antioxidants.

After completion of the doctoral studies, he became a Research Fellow at the University of East Anglia (2015). Since then he worked with Professor Mark Searcey. He worked on inhibitors of the protein-protein interactions between HDM2/X and p53. A major focus of his work are duocarmycins and their derivatives as potential antitumor therapeutics. He is also interested in P2X4 and CXCR4 receptors.