Dr Alessio Vagnoni PhD

Biography

My research group focuses on the cell biology of the neuron during ageing and neurodegeneration, with particular emphasis on the intricate relationship between intracellular trafficking and neuronal function. The lab is particularly fascinated by the transport of organelles and vesicles in the axons of neurons and our aim is to understand how regulatory nodes of this process can affect neuronal homeostasis during ageing. With time, we have also developed a strong interest in understanding how neuronal trafficking is spatially regulated within cells. Our belief is that a better understanding of the spatio-temporal regulation of neuronal trafficking is crucial to dissect the mechanisms leading to ageing and neurodegeneration. We are currently combining in vivo approaches in Drosophila melanogaster with studies in cultured mammalian neurons and Drosophila cells.

Please see my Research Staff Profile for more detail.

Find out more about my research:

• Vagnoni Lab

Key Publications:

• Mattedi et al. 2022. Optogenetic Miro cleavage reveals direct consequences of real-time loss of function in Drosophila. bioRxiv.
• Annuario et al. 2022. High-Resolution Imaging of Mitochondria and Mitochondrial Nucleoids in Differentiated SH-SY5Y Cells. Methods in Molecular Biology.
• Mattedi et al., 2019. Temporal control of axonal transport: the extreme case of organismal ageing. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience.
• Vagnoni et al., 2018. A cAMP/PKA/Kinesin-1 Axis Promotes the Axonal Transport of Mitochondria in Ageing Drosophila neurons. Current Biology.
• Vagnoni et al., 2016. A simple method for imaging axonal transport in ageing neurons using the adult Drosophila wing. Nature Protocols.

View all publications

Key Collaborators:

• Professor Giampietro Schiavo, University College London & Dementia Research Institute
• Prof Deepak Srivastava and Dr George Chennell, Wohl Cellular Imaging Centre
• Professor Klaus Suhling, King's College London
• Dr Tito Calì, University of Padova.