Maria Rosaria Capobianchi facts for kids

Maria Rosaria Capobianchi (born 1953 Procida) is an Italian biologist. She is the laboratory director of virology at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" (INMI). In 2020, she isolated coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

She graduated from the Federico II University of Naples, and in Microbiology from the Sapienza University of Rome. Her research focused on the mechanism of production and action of interferon, emerging viruses, persistent viral infections, and HIV infection. She was part of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center "Treatment, Diagnosis, Response and Training in Highly Infectious Diseases", established at INMI in 2009. She is a consultant of the National Transplant Center for viral infections in transplants.

In February 2020, her research group isolated SARS-CoV-2 , with Francesca Colavita and Concetta Castilletti.