Single Cell Airway Biology at the Nanoscale

Dr. Vito Mennella is an internationally recognised cell biologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology at the Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London. He leads a multidisciplinary research programme that combines advanced nanoscale imaging, quantitative analysis, and AI-driven segmentation to investigate the molecular organisation of human cells and tissues, with a particular focus on the respiratory system.

Dr. Mennella has pioneered cutting-edge super-resolution and volume electron microscopy approaches, integrating them with 3D averaging and multimodal workflows to reveal the nanoscale architecture of organelles and protein assemblies. His work has advanced our understanding of rare genetic diseases and airway biology through the discovery of novel disease genes, the development of imaging-based diagnostic strategies, and the creation of human model systems for translational research.

He has secured funding from major UK and international agencies and works with governmental bodies, academic and industrial partners to apply imaging-driven mechanistic insights to assess the health impacts of environmental pollution and the safety and efficacy of novel therapeutics and chemicals. His research has been published in leading journals, including Science Translational Medicine, Nature Genetics, Nature Cell Biology, and Nature Communications.