Maria Paola Costi

EDUCATION

1987 - 1989: PhD in Medicinal Chemistry, University of Milan-Modena-Trieste, Italy.

1984 - 1985: Degree in Pharmacy, University of Modena, 

1979 - 1984: Degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, University of Modena, Modena, Italy,

CURRENT POSITION

2013 - present: Full Professor in Medicinal Chemistry (CHIM08), Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.

PREVIOUS POSITIONS

2000 - 2012: Associate Professor in Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.

1993 - 1999: Permanent Researcher position, faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Modena, Modena, Italy.

1990 - 1992: Research position at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Modena.

AWARDS

2015-2018 Principal investigator Italian Association for cancer research (AIRC) project IG 16977,  "Protein-protein interactions in colorectal cancer".

2013-2017 Coordinator FP7 EU project New Medicine for trypanosomatidic Infections (NMTrypI) ( https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/109924/brief/en )

2010-2013 Prinicipal investigator Italian Association for cancer research (AIRC) project IG 16944, "Targeting drug resistance in ovarian cancer".

2017: Invitation as moderator to XXXI International conference on Pontificio Consiglio per gli Operatori Sanitari (per la Pastorale della Salute), Vatican city 10-12 Novembre 2016

2017: Invitation of the President of the Italian Republic to the scientific celebration event of the National Cancer Research day 25 October 2016. http://www.quirinale.it/elementi/5710

2014: ITTS, Mumbai India, Best researcher in medicinal chemistry  2014.

SUPERVISION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

1992 - 2018: 81 postdocs/ 27 PhD students/ 102 Master degree students

TEACHING ACTIVITIES 

2019-2020 : Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Toxicology 2, Pharmacy, UniMORE.

2017/2018- 2018/2019 :  Radiopharmaceuticals, Course of Pharmacy, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.

2015-2020:  Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Course of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.

2014 - 2020:  Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Toxicology 2, Course of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical technology (CTF), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.

2004 - 2014: Faculty of Biotechnology and Biology, teaching courses held: Biotechnology drugs, Medicinal chemistry and Advanced methodologies in Drug Discovery, Laboratory of biotechnological drugs, protein purification. Analytical chemistry methodologies of biotechnological drugs, Drug targets identification approaches.

1990 - 2004: Faculty of Pharmacy teaching courses held: Analytical Chemistry, Quantitative analysis of pharmaceuticals, Qualitative analysis of Pharmaceuticals, Library design in drug discovery , New methodologies in Drug Discovery. 

ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS

3/12/2019.15-18 Half-day young medicinal chemists meeting. Dep.Life Science. UniMORE. Modena

June /2016: Synergy meeting of FP7-health-2013-2.2.4-2   http://cdm.unimo.it/home/dipfarm/costi.mariapaola/NPDs_Synergy-meeting_2016_home-it.html

12/2011: COST CM0801 on Drug development in neglected diseases, Training school on assay development in medicinal chemistry, Modena.

10/2011: COST CM0801 on Drug development in parasitic diseases, annual meeting organization, Department of pharmaceutical Science, Modena, IT. ( 12/2011: COST CM0801 on Drug development in neglected diseases meeting )

19-20/02/2009: Drug Resistance in Ovarian Cancer: biomarkers and treatments, Dep. of Pharmaceutical Science, Modena, IT. 

INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES 

2019 Member of the working group of the National Medicinal Chemistry Division on medicinal chemistry teaching.

2019 Representative of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in the Paul Erlich MedChem, Euro PhD Network. ( http://www.pehrlichmedchem.eu/index.html# ).

2017 President of the International Committee of the PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Granada.

2017 Committee member  University of Pamplona (2017). 

2017  Committee member PhD examination, University of Milan (2017). 

2016: Committee member University of Siena. PhD School.

2016 - present: Committee member Comitato di Indirizzo of Course in Chemistry and pharmaceutical technology.

2015 - present: Committee member School of Doctorate in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Course of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical technology.

2008 - 2015: Committee member PhD school, Science and Technologies of Health products,  Course of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical technology (CTF) and Course of Biotechnology.

1994 - 2007: Committee member PhD school, Drug Science, Chemistry and pharmaceutical technologies,  Unimore. 

1994 - 2007: Participation in the Working group for the organization of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Bioscience, Unimore.

REVIEWING ACTIVITIES

2019 - European Science Foundation panel list member

2004 - 2018  Expert evaluator of the European Commission ( Horizon 2020  and  FP V-VII ).

2003  National Expert for the valuation of PIA (Appointed by the Ministry of productivity). 

Evaluation of research projects for ANR, France. 

Evaluation of research projects for the Belgian Minister of Research.

Grant awards peer reviewer of different International Organisations (CNRS, Polish and Czechgrant awards committee, different foundations), MIUR, European Science Foundation. 

Associate Editorial board member of ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, Current Medicinal Chemistry, Mini-reviews in Medicinal Chemistry.  Arkivoc.

Peer reviewer of scientific journals: Nature, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, BiochimicaBiophisica Acta, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, Biochemistry, Parasitology, Journal of Molecular recognition, Chemistry and Biology, Journal of Molecular Biology, some online Journals. 

MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

2011: Folate Receptor Society (VU University Medical Center Amsterdam The Netherlands

2010: Member of the Translational research group, Research Network “MITO” (Multicentro Italiano per il   Tumore Ovarico) (www.mito-group.it)

2009 - present Founding Member, EUTROC (European Translational Research for Ovarian Cancer) 

2005- present: Member of the American Chemical Society (ACS)

1990: Member of the Italian Chemical Society (www.sci.it)

Book Chapters

1. Hits and Lead discovery in the identification of new drugs against the trypanosomatidic infections. Theodora Calogeropoulou, George E. Magoulas, Ina Pöhner, Joanna Panecka-Hofman, Pasquale Linciano, Stefania Ferrari, Nuno Santarem, Mª Dolores Jiménez-Antón, Ana Isabel Olías-Molero, José María Alunda, Anabela Cordeiro da Silva⁷, Rebecca C. Wade and Maria Paola Costi ^* “MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY OF NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES. Advances in the design and synthesis of antimicrobial agents” to be published by CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. 2019.

2. Scaffolds and biological targets avenue to fight against drug resistance in leishmaniasis. Chiara Borsari, Antonio Quotadamo, Stefania Ferrari, A. Venturelli, Anabela Cordeiro, Nuno Santarem, Maria Paola Costi. Annual Review in Medicinal Chemistry. Volume 51. DOI: 10.1016/bs.armc.2018.08.002

3. Series Editor for VITAMINS & HORMONES (Academic press/Elsevier), VH Volume 107: AID 146) entitled OVARIAN CYCLE. Chapter entitled “HUMAN THYMIDYLATE SYNTHASE INHIBITORS halting OVARIAN CANCER CELL GROWTH. M.P.Costi et al. 2018;107:473-513. doi: 10.1016/bs.vh.2017.12.002.

4. Costi Maria Paola, Pellati Federica, Ferrari Stefania (2013). Protein-protein interaction inhibitors: case studies on Small Molecules and Natural Compounds. In: Maria Paola Costi, Stefania Ferrari Federica Pellati. Disruption of Protein-Protein Interfaces. p. 31-60, Berlin Heidelberg:Stefano Mangani, ISBN: 9783642379987.

5. Trypanosomatid Diseases. A molecular route to drug discovery. Edited by Timo Jäger, Oliver Koch, Drug Discovery in Infectious Diseases. Volume 4 Series Editor Paul M. Selzer. Wiley-Blackwell 2013. Medicinal chemistry approaches targeting the trypanosmatidic enzymes Pteridine reductase and Dhydrofolate reductase. In Press. ISBN 978-3-527-33255-7. Stefania Ferrari, Valeria Losasso, Puneet Saxena, Maria Paola Costi.

6. Enhancing the drug discovery process by integration of structure-based drug design and combinatorial synthesis. In: ARUP K. GHOSE, VELLARKAD N. VISWANADHAN. Combinatorial Library Design and Evaluation Principles, Software, Tools, and Applications in Drug Discovery. D.Tondi, Costi M.P.(2001). ISBN: 0-8247-0487-8. NEW YORK CITY: Marcel Dekker, Inc. (UNITED STATES).

Projects granted

1. 1996 MURST, Progetto per giovani ricercatori. Università di Modena.“Function and inhibition of Thymidylate synthase: Synthesis of non-classical inhibitors as potential antitumor agents”.
2. 1998 Contract Ely-Lilli- Northwestern University, Chicago-University of Modena, Responsabile del progetto: “Discovery of new inhibitors of beta-lactamases “.
3. 1999 MURST (XVIII Executive Program of the Cultural Agreement between Italy and Spain for the period 1998-2001).
4. 1999-2001 Contract Ely-Lilli- Northwestern University, Chicago-University of Modena “Novel Inhibitors of AmpC beta-Lactamase.
5. 2000-2001 Azioni integrate Italia-Spagna (University of Modena) and Spain (Institute Lopez Neyra) “Discovery of new drugs against cellular resistance in Kinetoplastidae parasite”.
6. 2001-2005 FIRB; progetto autnomo “Drug resistance: Design and synthesis trough combinatorial strategy of inhibitors of Pteridine Reductase and Folate enzyme dependent in Tripanosoma cruzi”, (Project number RBAU01S38Z).
7. PRIN 2002 -2004. PI Unimore. New thymidylate synthase inhibitors: antitumoral improvement and apoptotic processes studies” (Project number 2002033121_002).
8. 2001-2005 NIH (National Institute of health, USA) sub-contractor of Northwester University of Chicago, Prof B. Shoichet (now UCSF, USA). 200.000 euro.
9. 2005-2009 NIH (National Institute of health, USA) sub-contractor of University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,( Project number NIH GM63815 grant sub-contract number 3402 sc).
   Co-PI.
10. PRIN 2004-2006 PI Unimore. New thymidylate synthase inhibitors: antitumoral improvement and apoptotic processes studies”, (Project number 2004030405_004).
11. Finanziamento regionale Spinner per progetti di impresa Tydock 2004-2005.
    Unimore expert.
12. Finanziamento regionale Spinner per progetti di trasferimento tecnologico. 2005-2006.
    Unimore expert.
13. WHO 2005-2006. Optimization and development of antifolates as antileishmania and antitrypanosome agents. (Project number A50599). This project is developed in collaboration with WHO for biological evaluation.
14. PRIN 2006-2008. PI Unimore. New thymidylate synthase inhibitors: antitumoral improvement and apoptotic processes studies”, (project number 2006030430_004).
15. Internationalization grant (Interlink), MIUR, 2004-2006 (actual period 2006- 2008). Resistenza ai farmaci: applicazione di strategie combinatoriali nella progettazione e sintesi di inibitori. Drug resistance: application of combi-like strategies to the discovery of inhibitors of pteridine reductase in Trypanosoma cruzi). Human Mobility supports (Project number: II04C0CGCE).
16. Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena (Bank Foundation, http://www.fondazione- crmo.it/ )" HTS of antiparasitic compounds" grant for Calorimeter Microcal, ITC and Multiplate reader.2006
17. EU project “LIGHTS” on “Ligand design for interfering with human Thymidylate synthase function” progetto STREP del 6FP (6 framework program) (LSHC-CT-2006-037852) starting 1/10/ 2006-31/9//2009 Coordinator. Prof.Maria Paola Costi.
18. 2011 Cassa di Risparmio di Modena Foundation (FCRM)- Grant for congress organization on “Medicinal Chemsitry in parasitology”
19. PRIN 2009-2011. PI Unimore. Progettazione e sviluppo di nuovi lead diretti al pathway dei folati, attivi verso le parassitosi da Tripanosomatidae. Progetto n° 200925BPZ5_004.
20. 2010-2011 INDIGO projects http://stories.newindigo.eu/stories/tricont/
21. 2010-2014 NIH (National Institute of health, USA) sub-contractor of University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA. ( Project number NIH GM63815 grant sub-contract number 3402 sc).
22. 2009-2010 Progetto di ricerca internazionale “Kinetodrugs.Disegno di inibitori del pathway dei folati per lo sviluppo di candidati farmaci antiparassitari verso Leishmaniasi e Triapnosomiasi.” Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena (FRCMO).
23. 2010-2013 Project AIRC (Associazione italiana per la ricerca sul cancro) on “Targeting drug resistance in ovarian cancer”.
    IG 10474. 
24. 2013-2015 Coordination of the regional PhD project NOVAMOLSTAM. Discovery of small molecule tools for rigenerative medicine and cancer targeting the Hyppo pathway. 
25. 2012-2014. Unimore PI. Optobacteria, FP7 project, Capacity program, Research for SME, MP Costi Scientfiic Manager and PI of the Unimore partner.
    www.optobacteria.eu
26. PRIN 2012-2015. PI Unimore. Progettazione e sviluppo di nuovi lead diretti al pathway dei folati, attivi verso le parassitosi da Tripanosomatidae. Progetto.
27. 2014-2017 New Medicine for Trypanosomatidic infections-NMTrypI- FP7-HEALTH-2013-2.2.4-2: Drug development for neglected parasitic diseases, grant agreement no 603240. Coordinator MP Costi. http://fp7-nmtrypi.eu
28. 2015-2018 Project AIRC (Associazione italiana per la ricerca sul cancro) on “Protein-protein interaction inhibitors of thymidylate synthase against colorectal cancer” IG 16977. 
29. 2017-2019. Oncologia di Precisione e Nuove Terapie Antitumorali (ONCOPENTA). Alta formazione e Ricerca. Dottorati di ricerca. Sviluppo di inibitori dell’interazione proteina-proteina contro la farmacoresistenza nei sarcomi e carcinomi. http://formazionelavoro.regione.emilia-romagna.it/alta-formazione-ricerca/approfondimenti/dottorati-di-ricerca/economia-digitale/oncologia-di-precisione-e-nuove-terapie-antitumorali. (PhD student granted).
30. 2019-2021 Collaborative activities in the project concerning Drug Resistant mechanisms in Leishmania.  Omics approach to study the modulation of host cells after Leishmania infection: involvement in drug susceptibility. (LeishModCel). Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. Spain. Project Ref. RTI2018-097210-B-100  
31. 2019-2022 Translational proteomic study, MITO group, MITO16 clinical trial.

32. 2021-2024 European Lead Factory QHL Programme Plan ELFSC34_10- Target-directed screening programme. "Discovery of new dual targeting chimeric inhibitors of PTR1-DHFR from trypanosomatidic parasites" Programme Proposer : Maria Paola Costi

33. 2021-2023 Fondo di Ateneo per la Ricerca 2021 - Bando per il finanziamento di progetti di ricerca interdisciplinari Mission Oriented – Linea UNIMORE - "TEAD ligands prevent YAP binding and combat colorectal cancer growth and resistance" FAR2021INTERM_O_UNIM. (HipTargeting)
34. 2022-2027 AIRC2021 IG 25785 "Thymidylate synthase dimer disrupters induce DNA damage, halt cell growth, overcome drug resistance in colorectal cancer"