Rafael Radi

Rafael Radi is Professor and Chairman of Biochemistry at the School of Medicine, University of the Republic, Uruguay. He is a leading researcher in free radical biology and redox biochemistry with significant contributions to understanding peroxynitrite chemistry and protein tyrosine nitration. His work bridges basic biochemical mechanisms with translational applications in cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer.

Dr. Radi's research focuses on the biochemical mechanisms of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, particularly peroxynitrite and its biological consequences. His laboratory has made seminal contributions to understanding protein tyrosine nitration as a marker of nitrative stress and its implications in human pathologies. He has pioneered methodologies for measuring oxidative damage and reactive species in biological systems.

His publications demonstrate a clear trajectory from fundamental biochemical studies of reactive species to their implications in cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer. The research group has recently expanded into metabolic therapies, exploring how nitroalkene derivatives can modulate energy metabolism and treat obesity.

• Discovery Award of the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine (SFRBM, 2011)
• Alexander Von Humboldt Senior Award (2010)
• National Prize in Science and Technology (2007)
• Howard Hughes International Research Scholar (2000-2011)
• Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences (2015)

Dr. Radi has served as Past-President of both the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine and the Society for Free Radical Research International. He is currently President of the Academia Nacional de Ciencias del Uruguay, which he co-founded. His work has established Uruguay as a significant center for redox biology research in Latin America, mentoring numerous scientists who have gone on to establish their own research programs.