last update 10.07.2024

Scientific activity

11-2023/today           Associate professor, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Section of Molecular Virology, University of Cagliari (Italy). SSD BIO-19.

11-2020/10-2023        RTD-B, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Section of Molecular Virology, University of Cagliari (Italy). SSD BIO-19.

10-2019/10-2020 Post doc fellow at the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, , University of Cagliari (Italy).Project: L.R. 7/2017, (FSC) 2014-2020 “Multi-target approach for the development of new inhibitors of HIV replication”  Codice: RASSR17032 CUP F76C18000800002.

10-2018/10-2019        Post doc fellow at the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, , University of Cagliari (Italy). Project: POR FESR 2014-2020 " Development of innovative drugs against endogenous retroviruses, exogenous viruses and tumors of particular relevance in the Sardinian Region " CUP: G87H18000020006

06/08-2017                Research fellow at IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, in Barcelona.

10-2016/10-2018        Post doc fellow at the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, , University of Cagliari (Italy).Project: RAS LR 07/2007, dal titolo " Development of inhibitors of the Ebola virus evasion systems to evade the innate immune response  "grant n. CRP-78711/F72I15000900002.

10-2015/10-2016        Post doc fellow at the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, , University of Cagliari (Italy).Project: PRIN, " Multi-target molecular approach to block HIV-1 replication" grant no. 2010W2KM5L_003 

11-2014/06-2015 Research collaborator at the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, , University of Cagliari (Italy).Project: “Innovative targets for the identification of new inhibitors of the early stages of HIV-1 replication: functional studies and development of new inhibitors” L.R.7/2007.2010.

11-2013/01-2014 Guest researcher internship. Biophotonique des interactions moléculaires, Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée (LBPA).  Ecole Normale Supérieure Cachan cedex France.

11-2011/03-2012  Guest researcher internship. HIV Drug Resistance Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute,  National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD –USA.

02-2011/04-2014        PhD student in Molecular Virology in the “Human and Environmental Biology and Biochemistry School” at the University of Cagliari (Italy).

02-2009/04-2010        Master Student internship at the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, University of Cagliari, Pharmaceutical  Chemistry Lab.

Granted Research Projects:

2024/ present            FDS2022_Sardinia Foundation Research Project. Hit to lead optimization and characterization of inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2 replication machinery Role: Principal investigator

2024/present             PRIN2022 2022TLZRXT - DEvelopment oF pan-coronavirus agENts targeting host and viral heliCasEs (DEFENCE). Role: Principal investigator

2021- 2022                “A Small molecule To Overcome Present and future COronaVIrus Diseases” FISR2020IP_03296  STOP-COVID Unit Leader

2021 – 2023              NanoVET4CoV.” NanoVETtori Ibridi a base di idrossiclorochina come agenti terapeutici per Sars-COV-2” Unit Leader Sardegna Ricerche grant.

 

Research collaborator in Scientific Projects:

2024/present             HORIZON-HLTH-2023-DISEASE-03-04: call. — [Pandemic preparedness and response: Broad spectrum anti-viral therapeutics for infectious diseases with epidemic potential] AVITHRAPID: Antiviral Therapeutics For Rapid Response Against Pandemic Infectious Diseases. Role: Unit research member

2023/present             NextGenerationEU- PNRR call- "One Health Basic and Translational Actions Addressing Unmet Needs on Emerging Infectious Diseases (INF-ACT) Role: Unit research member -INF-ACT research consortium

2021-2023                L.R. 19/96 – call: 2021(TECNOCOVID) Combinazione di bioattivi naturali e nanotecnologie per prevenire e contenere il contagio da COVID-19. Role: Unit research member

2020- 2021               “Development of compounds inhibiting VP35 block of the antiviral innate immune response” Fondazione Sardegna – Università di Cagliari project. Role: Unit research member

2020-2021                EU-H2020-SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020 granted “EXaSCale smArt pLatform Against paThogEns for Corona Virus (EXSCALATE4CoV)” Unit member.

2020-2021                “Identify new therapeutic agents for the treatment of respiratory infection from SARS-CoV-2”, Unit member,  Sardegna Ricerche grant.

2020- 2021               “Use of Raman spectroscopy for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and design of a system for reliable rapid measurements”, Unit member, Sardegna Ricerche grant.

2019-2021                “Multitarget approach to develop novel inhibitors of HIV replication”, Regione Autonoma della Sardegna (RAS) project. Unit member.

2018-2020                “Discovery, design and development of STING agonists as immune modulators with antiviral and anticancer activities”, Fondazione Sardegna – Università di Cagliari project. Unit Member,

2017- 2020                “Development of innovative drugs against endogenous retroviruses, exogenous viruses and tumors particularly relevant in Sardinia” Regione Autonoma della Sardegna (RAS) project. Unit Member.

2015-2018                “Development of inhibitors of Ebola Virus innate immune system evasion” Regione Autonoma della Sardegna (RAS) project. Unit Member.

2012-2016                “A multi-target molecular approach to block HIV-1 replication” PRIN 2010-11 project . Unit Member.

2012-2015                “Innovative targets for the identification of new inhibitors of the early phases of the HIV-1 replication: functional studies and new inhibitors development” Regione Autonoma della Sardegna (RAS) project. Unit Member.

2012-2015                “Biotech Sardinian plants”. Unit Member, Regione Autonoma della Sardegna (RAS) and Regione Lombardia project.

 

Education:

2018 National Scientific Habilitation call D.D. 1532/2016 Scientific sector 05/I2 MICROBIOLOGY Associated Professor, validity form 10/04/2018 to 10/04/2024 (Italian law: art. 16, comma 1, Legge 240/10)

2014 European Ph.D. at “Human and Environmental Biology and Biochemistry School” of University of Cagliari (Italy). Thesis: “Characterization of the mechanism of action of new HIV-1 reverse transcriptase-associated ribonuclease H inhibitors”. Score: Excellent.

2013 Certificate of High level security biology lab (L3) training at UMR 8113 – CNRS Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée (LBPA). Ecole Normale Supérieure Cachan France

2012 Certificate of Blood-borne pathogens training at Center of Excellence in HIV/AIDS and Cancer Virology, Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute. Frederick MD USA

2010 Master Degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies, University of Cagliari. 110/110 Summa cum laude, Thesis: Synthesis of new 2,5-diaril-3-acetil-2,3-didrossadiazoles derivatives as selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors.

2004 High school degree in classical studies  Score: 100/100

Membership of scientific societies:        

2023/present          International Society for Antiviral Research, Board of Directors

2017                    Società Italiana di Virologia – Italian Society for Virology - SIV-ISV

2016                    American Society of Microbiology

2011                    Italian Society of Virology

2014                    Italian Society of General Microbiology and Microbial e Biotechnologies

2014                    International Society for Antiviral Research

Awards:

2018   First Place in the Post-Doc Category at the 31st International Conference on Antiviral Research, in Porto

2017 Chu Family Foundation (CFF) Scholarship for Women Scientists, Awarded by International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR)

2016 “Cecilia Cioffrese” 2016- malattie virali award,  by Fondazione Carlo Erba.

Service activity for the community:

2022                Member of Faculty Board of the Doctorate in Life, Environment and Medication Sciences at University of Cagliari

2020                Member of the Faculty of “Biology and Pharmacy”, University of Cagliari

 

Outreach activities:

1.                         Focus Sulla Ricerca Scientifica Pubblica E Privata Per Affrontare E Prevenire Nuovi Eventi Pandemici. 30 novembre 2023 Parco Scientifico e tecnologico. della Sardegna – Pula Organizing Committee. Prof.ssa Angela Corona, Prof. Enzo Tramontano (Universita? di Cagliari) Prof. Vincenzo Summa (Universita? di Napoli) Dott.ssa Francesca Caboi, Dott. Giuseppe Serra (Sardegna Ricerche)

2.                         Vaccini contro SARS-CoV-2 cosa sono e come funzionano. Dr. Angela Corona. Evento Streaming. Associazione Culturale Medicina e Persona, venerdì 30 Aprile 2021 ore 19:30

 

Meeting organization:

2022                      Organizing committee  6th International Summer School “Innovative approaches for the identification of antiviral agents - 2022”

2021                      Organizing committee  5th International Summer School “Innovative approaches for the identification of antiviral agents - 2021”

2018                      Organizing committee 4th International Summer School “Innovative approaches for the identification of antiviral agents - 2018”

 

Chaired sessions:

1.     36th International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR) 2023. Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Late-breaking Oral Presentations Chairs Robert Jordan and Angela Corona

2.     6th Edition of the International Summer School “Innovative approaches for the identification of antiviral agents”, Pula, Italy

 

Panelist  sessions, selected oral communications:

1.     Corona A. Plenary Lecture: Exploiting Ebola virus suppression of the innate immune activation as target for drug development 51 SIM conference, Microbiology 2023 joint meeting Cagliari 21-27 Settembre 2023

2.     Corona A, Madia V.M., De Santis R, Manelfi C.,Emmolo R, Ialongo D., Patacchini E., Messore A., Amatore D., Faggioni G., Artico M., Iaconis D., Talarico C., Di Santo R., Lista F., Costi R., Tramontano E  “DKA inhibitors of Nsp13 of SARS-CoV-2 block viral replication  7th National Congress Of The Italian Society For Virology” Brescia 25 – 27 Giugno 2023

3.     Corona A, Strayer DR, Distinto S, Daino GL, Paulis A, Tramontano E, William M. Mitchell, Ebola Virus Disease: In Vivo Protection Provided by the PAMP Restricted TLR3 Agonist Rintatolimod and Its Mechanism of Action 36th International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR) 2023

4.     Corona A, Frau A., Sanna C., Salata C., Rigano D., Daino G.L., Chianese G., Formisano C., Taglialatela Scafati O., Mirazimi A., Tramontano E. 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, from Onopordon Illiricum, blocks EBOV replication counteracting the IFN-β production inhibition by the VP35 Ebola virus protein. 2nd National Congress of the Italian Society for Virology One Virology One Health – Rome, November 28-30, 2018

5.     Corona A, Rogolino D, Ballana E, Carcelli M, Grandi N, José Esté, J, Tramontano E, N-acylhydrazones as RNase H Selective Inhibitors Active against Replication of HIV-1 NNRTIs Resistant Variants 31st International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR),Alfândega Congress Centre in Porto, Portugal. Dall’11 al 15 June 2018.

6.     Corona A, Poongavanam V, Grandi N, Kongsted J, Esposito F and TramontanoE. A Structure-Based Virtual Screening and site directed mutagenesis approach identify new promising HIV-1 RNase H inhibitors Microbiology 2017 33th SIMGBM conference, Palermo 17-20 September 2017

7.     Corona A, Delelis O, Meleddu R, Subra F, Esposito F, Distinto S, Maccioni E, and Tramontano E Nitro-Hydrazoindolin-2-One Derivatives Inhibit HIV-1 Replication Exibiting A Multi-Target Mechanism of Action. SIV-ISV 2017. Milano 25-28 June 2017

8.     Corona A, R Meleddu, O Delelis, F Esposito, S Distinto, E Maccioni, E Tramontano. Exploring the hydrazoindolin-2-one based scaffold to develop Ribonuclease H/DNA polymerase HIV-1 RT dual inhibitors. Innovative Approaches for Identification of Antiviral Agents Summer School (IAAASS). Margherita di Pula September 28th – October 3th 2016

9.     Corona A, A Schneider, J Bodem, Bern Buchholz, E Maccioni, R. Di Santo, E. Tramontano, B.M. Wöhrl. Phenotypic characterization of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase associated activities of a multiresistant subtype AG strain. Microbiology 2015 31th SIMGBM conference 23-26 September 2015

10.   Corona A, F. S. Di Leva, F. Esposito, R. Di Santo, R. Costi, L.Pescatori, S.Cosconati, E.Novellino and E. Tramontano. Mutagenesis of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase ribonuclease H domain defines residues contributing to ribonuclease h activity inhibition by diketo acids. European Congress of Virology 11-14 September 2013 Lyon, France.

11.   Corona A, R. Meleddu, F. Esposito, S. Distinto, E. Maccioni S. Le Grice and E. Tramontano The mechanism of action of new hiv-1 reverse transcriptase dual inhibitors  esplored by kinetic studies and site direct mutagenesis. Innovative Approaches for Identification of Antiviral Agents Summer School (IAAASS). Margherita di Pula September 30th – October 4th 2012

12.   Corona A, R. Meleddu, F. Esposito, S. Distinto, E. Maccioni, S. Le Grice and E. Tramontano. Site direct mutagenesis and kinetic studies to explore the mechanism of action of isatin derivatives as HIV-1 reverse transcriptase dual inhibitors. RNase H meeting Edinburgh, UK. Wednesday 5 -Friday 7 September 2012

 

Participation to Journal Activities:

2011-today           Peer reviewing collaborations for several International Journals.

2021-today:           Board of Review Editor Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery (antiviral section)

2021-today            Reviewer Frontiers in Microbiology Antivirals and Vaccines