Phd in LIFE SCIENCE

email: roberta.costi@uniroma1.it
phone: 0649693247
building: CU019
room: 150

Roberta Costi
Born in Rome; 13th July 1966

Education and Training
1989−1991: undergraduate student – Department of Pharmaceutical Studies, University of Rome La Sapienza
1991: CTF degree: 110/110 cum laude.
1995: Pharmacy degree: 110/110 cum laude.
1994: PhD in Pharmaceutical Science .

Employment and Research Experience
1994-1995: Pasteur Institute – Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti fellowship
1995-1996: CNR fellowship
1996−1998: ISS fellowships
1999-2000: Fixed-term researcher in medicinal chemistry at the Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Salerno
2000-2002: University researcher in Medicinal Chemistry at the Department of Pharmaceutical Studies University of Rome “La Sapienza”.
2002-present: Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the Department of Pharmaceutical Studies and then Chemistry and Technology of Drug, University of Rome “La Sapienza” (Scientific sector CHIM/08-Medicinal Chemistry).
Teaching Medicinal Chemistry (School of Pharmacy) as regular professor:
Chimica Farmaceutica e Tossicologica II (Farmacia);
Chimica Farmaceutica e Tossicologica I (SFA);
Analisi Chimico farmaceutica e tossicologica II (CTF);
Integratori alimentari (SFA);
Sintesi industriali di prodotti naturali (Scuola di specializzazione in sostanze naturali, Facoltà di Scienze MFN);
Chimica Farmaceutica e tossicologica III (Farmacia),
Progettazione del Farmaco (Farmacia);
Chimica farmaceutica e tossicologica I (Scienze MFN, Università di Tor Vergata, Roma).


MAIN RESEARCH INTERESTS:
The activity is always focused in drug design and discovery (DDD). Main reseraches in the field of antimicrobial agents. In particular in the field of antiviral agents (discovery of novel classes of HIV NNRTI classes: AThPs, IN inhibitors, polyhydroxylated aromatics and diketoacids including quinolinones; inhibitors of RdRp of HCV), antifungal agents (analogues of bifonazole, ketoconazole and miconazole), antitumor agents (inhibitors of mammalian terminal transferases), and CNS agents (MAO inhibitors; anti-Alzheimer agents), and heterocyclic chemistry (pyrrole, indole, tri- and tetracylcic systems). Since 1996 studied HIV-1 integrase inhibitors as antiretroviral agents obtaining polyhydroxylated derivatives and aryldiketoacids endowed of potent antiviral activities. Also inhibitors of RNase H function of the reverse trascriptase enzyme of HIV were developed. Futher studies were devote to the discovery of inhibitors of viral (HCV RdRp, HIV-1 RT) and human (TdT, pol λ) polymerases.
New approach in the field of antibacteria agents has been developed, with the discovery of new class of zinc chelators as inhibitors of ZnuABC transporter that has important role in the pathogenicity of Gram-negative bacteria. Finally, she developed a novel approach to antitumor and antiviral chemotherapy with the discovery of novel modulators of chromatin remodeling (HAT inhibitors). Cooperating with Companies to develop anti-Alzheimer, antimalarial agents and ligands of 5-HT4 receptors.