Office Address
5-130 Nils Hasselmo
312 Church St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
United States
Lab Address
5-220 Nils Hasselmo
312 Church Street
Minneapolis, MN 55455
United States
Luiza Mendonça
Assistant Professor
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
The Mendonça Lab uses integrative imaging approaches (cryoEM/ET, cryoFIB/SEM, CLEM) to investigate cellular pathways exploited by RNA viruses and identify novel molecular targets for therapeutic interventions. Our research has the potential to reveal molecular weak links to be exploited to fight viral diseases such as AIDS and COVID-19.
Research statement
My research interests lie at the intersection of virology, structural biology and cellular biology. In particular, I am an expert in RNA viruses (such as HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2), cryoelectron microscopy and tomography (cryoEM/ET), cellular cryoET, correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) and multimodal imaging approaches. My goal is to pursue research that offers mechanistic understanding of viral replication, viral transmission, and anti-viral immune response through the application of correlative and integrative imaging approaches combined with functional virology assays. This research will identify novel molecular targets for therapeutic intervention aimed to fight the diseases caused by these viruses as well as contribute with further understanding of fundamental cellular processes such as antiviral immune response.
Education and background
- Postdoctoral Fellow 2022 University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Postdoctoral Associate 2018 University of Minnesota
- Ph.D. 2015 Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil
- Visiting Scholar 2014 California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
- MSc 2011 Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil
- BS 2009 Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil