Claudio Mapelli
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Published in October 2022
Claudio Mapelli, age 64, distinguished medicinal peptide chemist.
Claudio Mapelli, native of Vicenza, Italy, passed peacefully at home surrounded by family on October 7, 2022. His career spanned forty years in academia and pharmaceutical research.
He graduated from the University of Padua in 1983 and received a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Georgia for one year. As he learned about the opportunities for scientific research in the United States, he extended the fellowship at the University of Louisville. In 1988 he accepted a research position in New Jersey at Enichem Americas.
In 1991 he was hired as a Senior Research Investigator at Bristol Myers Squibb in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, retiring as Senior Principal Scientist in 2016. He received multiple awards at BMS throughout his 25 years there. He presented research around the globe, culminating at the International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry in Manchester, England.
Not long after his retirement, he joined Merck & Co. in Kenilworth, New Jersey and led efforts to re-establish the company as an industry leader in the peptide field. His expertise guided the company-wide peptide capability build, and he contributed to many discovery projects across therapeutic areas. His efforts were consistently recognized.
At a celebration of his career before his passing, his peers spoke of the ease of his collaborations with scientists from all disciplines, their admiration of his work ethic and the positivity he brought to many creative programs. He had 45 publications in his field. His research has been cited more than 1200 times in the scientific literature.
He served on the board of the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey. He was passionate about classical music, yoga and especially soccer, cheering consistently for Inter Milan for sixty years.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Savanna Jackson Mapelli, and daughter, Dr. Emily Mapelli, a brother and sister-in-law, Maurizio and Graziella, and many cousins, including Nicola Piana of Sovizzo, and extended family in the Veneto and Lombardy.
Family and friends are invited to Claudio’s Life Celebration on Friday, October 14, 2022 from 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM, followed by his Funeral Mass at 10:30 AM, at Queen of the Universe Catholic Church, 2443 Trenton Rd., Levittown, Pennsylvania 19056. Interment will be private.
Donations in Claudio’s memory may be made to Compassionate Care ALS, P.O. Box 1052, West Falmouth, MA 02574 https://ccals.org/donate.
