Julio Alberto Urbina Romero, Venezuelan parasitologist and biochemist (c. 1947 –

Authored over 150 papers

Found a number of new drugs with potent in vitro and in vivo effects on Trypanosoma cruzi and other prasites such as novel azasterols, quinuclidine based inhibitors, new triazole derivatives and new-metal clotrimazole complexes

Established that amiodarone has effect on trypanosomiasis

Developed the utilization of ergosterol synthesis inhibitors against Trypanosoma cruzi

With N.M. Rodríguez, B.N. Bailey, M.B. Martin, E. Oldfield & R. Docampo. Radical cure of experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis by the bisphosphonate pamidronate. J. Infect. Dis. 186(1):138-40, 2002

Obtained the first reports of parasitological cure of Chagas disease in its chronic phase (2000)

Obtained the first demonstration of radical parasitological cure in an animal model of chronic Chagas disease

With G. Payares, J. T. Molina, C. Sanoja, A. Liendo, K. Lazardi, M.M. Piras, R. Piras, N. Perez, P. Winckler & J.F. Ryley. Cure of short and long-term experimental Chagas disease using D0870. Science 273 (5277):969-71, 1996

First detailed study of the sterol composition and metabolism in intracellular Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes

With A. Liendo, G. Visbal, M.M. Piras & R. Piras. Sterol composition and biosynthesis in Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 104 (1):81-91, 1999

Developed a new nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic method to investigate order and dynamics in phospholipids

With B. Moreno, W. Arnold, C. Taron, P. Orlean & E. Oldfield. A carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic study of inter-proton pair order parameters: a new approach to study order and dynamics in phospholipid membrane systems. Biophys. J. 75(3):1372-83, 1998

HONOURS

Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Scientific Research Scholar (2000-5)