ApconiX Welcomes Dr Manuela La Montagna
ApconiX is delighted to welcome Dr Manuela La Montagna, joining the Safety Science Group as a Senior Scientist to work as an author on Target Safety Assessment with Dr Helen Garside.
Career
Manuela grew up in Southern Italy and studied her BSc in General and Applied Biology at the University of Naples Federico II. She continued with an MSc in Molecular biology and spent the 2nd year of her degree in the Netherlands as an exchange student at VU University of Amsterdam. Manuela did her Master's thesis' laboratory project there, evaluating the TPTEP1 pseudogene as a potential biomarker for HPV-based cervical cancer screening.
After graduation, Manuela found a PhD position at Cancer Research UK Institute in Manchester. Her research focused on the role of AMPKα in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), using CRISPR/lentiviral-engineered cell lines, in vivo GEMM models, RNA-Seq and functional assays to elucidate the role of this kinase in NSCLC.
Following her PhD, Manuela joined Redx Pharma at Alderley Park. She started with early drug discovery projects in oncology and fibrosis, generating and interpreting experimental data and authoring related reports and data summaries. She also led the development of a mitochondrial toxicity assay supporting early hazard identification and mechanistic evaluation of compound safety risks. Over the years, she grew in her role and moved to more translational work, working on late-stage clinical projects on fibrosis, leading translational biomarker strategies to support target engagement and evaluation of potential target safety risks associated with target modulation in drug discovery programmes.
Working for ApconiX
Manuela spent a significant part of her PhD at Alderley Park after Cancer Research UK relocated, where she first heard of ApconiX, and witnessed collaborations with Redx Pharma from her years working there. When she heard the Safety Science Group was expanding she decided to apply, and obtained a job at the start of 2026. Within the group, Manuela's experience in early drug discovery and knowledge in oncology and other disease area will be a great asset for authoring Target Safety Assessments. She mentioned an interest in bioinformatics and being very keen to develop her skills in this area.
Helen commented: "We're very happy to welcome Manuela to the Safety Science Group, where she will bring her expertise in drug discovery and cancer biology to our target and carcinogenicity safety assessments. She is a fantastic addition to the team".
Interests outside of work
In her free time, Manuela likes to stay active with walks, Pilates and yoga. She also loves cooking and baking and having friends around for dinners. Manuela also likes travelling, and spending quality time with friends and family.
