Rita Costa

Rita Costa is a Researcher at the Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Munich, Germany, where she has held a postdoctoral position since December 2019. Her work focuses on lung biology and respiratory medicine, integrating preclinical methodologies with personalized phage therapy to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.

Her academic background includes:

• Ph.D. in Medical Research from the Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich (2014-2020), with a thesis on Therapeutic Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation and regulation for lung repair in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• M.Sc. in Molecular Oncology from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, Porto University, Portugal (2009-2011)
• B.Sc. in Life Sciences from the Faculty of Biotechnology, Portuguese Catholic University - Porto, Portugal (2006-2009)

Dr. Costa's research spans lung biology, respiratory medicine, and virology, with emphasis on molecular signaling pathways (Wnt/β-catenin, YAP-TEAD/LOX) in chronic lung diseases like COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. She also investigates the human virome's role in health and disease, particularly in gastrointestinal contexts and microbial community dynamics. Her work bridges preclinical models with therapeutic applications for respiratory infections and tissue repair.

Analysis of her 2022-2024 publications reveals a cohesive focus on molecular mechanisms of lung pathology and virome-host interactions. Key themes include signaling pathway modulation in fibrosis, virome ecology in disease states, and translational phage therapy approaches for antibiotic-resistant infections, demonstrating interdisciplinary integration of respiratory medicine and microbial science.

As part of the Deng lab within Helmholtz Munich's Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Dr. Costa contributes to cutting-edge research on personalized antimicrobial therapies and lung disease mechanisms. Her team employs advanced preclinical models to study host-pathogen interactions and tissue regeneration.

Information regarding student advising and research grants is not publicly documented in available sources.