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Dr. Adriele Prina Mello

Ussher Assistant Professor (Clinical Medicine)
      
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Dr. Adriele Prina Mello

Ussher Assistant Professor (Clinical Medicine)

 prinamea@tcd.ie

 


Adriele Prina-Mello, PhD, is an Ussher Assistant Professor in Translational Nanomedicine, Department of Clinical Medicine at the Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, School of Medicine. AMBER centre Investigator, CRANN Principal Investigator at Trinity College, Dublin. Chair of the working group in Characterization and Toxicology at the European Technology Platform for Nanomedicine. Expert Member of Nanosafety cluster, the EC Task Force in Characterization and European Materials Characterisation Council. Founder and Director of the Laboratory for Biological Characterization of Advanced Materials, the Irish-branch of the European Nanomedicine Characterization Laboratory (EU-NCL), the flagship infrastructure project funded by the European Commission, in partnership with the US-National Cancer Institute Nano Characterization Laboratory)for enabling Translational Nanomedicine. My objective is to drive LBCAM to become a core nanomedicine enabling infrastructure for educational training (e.g., undergraduates, postgraduates) and international collaboration with academia, industry, clinicians and public bodies. Prina-Mello's research interests are focused on the translation of nanotechnology-enabled products (e.g., medical device, medicinal drugs, hybrid products such as theranostics); advanced materials and their multifunctional solutions; device and instrumentation applications into the medical research area as Nanomedicine tools with the potential to become next generation medical standards or standards of care. The key Nanomedicine areas of interest where I have developed expertise are: 1)Nanodiagnostics: advanced in vitro/ in vivo diagnostic and imaging devices and instrumentation. 2) Theranostics and Personalised Medicine: therapeutics based on nanotechnology and multilayered structures for localised and personalised medicine. 3) Regenerative Medicine: biomedical devices and nanotechnology and nanomaterials applied to tissue engineering. 4) Nanocharacterization and Safety: safe-by-design, responsible innovation development and regulatory compliance. Credited with more than 70 peer-review publications, 6 book chapters, 2 Booklets (as editor), 2 Special Issue (as topic editor), 7 invited scientific reviews, > 25 invited lectures, >50 conference proceedings, >100 posters. (all indexed in Google Scholars, Research Gate, or RSS, April 2016) Contributed to educational and learning by lecturing undergraduate students in Medicine and postgraduate Master degrees in Molecular Medicine, Translational Oncology, Pharmaceutical Science. Since 2010 provided mentoring, educational training, and transferable skills to more than 15 students who are now accomplished professionals. Prina-Mello's scientific and teaching international collaborators are the results of the extensive European Commission involvement and research projects activity. Prina-Mello is an active member at TCD of the following: Trinity Cancer committee, AMBER/CRANN Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) platform, the TTMI TARGET Radiobiology group, the TTMI outreach committee, the TTMI Health and Safety, the Translational Child Health and Paediatrics forum, the St. James's Intensive Care Unit research group.
  Bioelectromagnetism   Bioengineering   Biomagnetism   Biomaterials   Biomechanics   Biomechanics, Biomedical Engineering   Biomedical Engineering   Biomedical sciences   Biophysics   Bioreactors   Biosensors   Biotechnology   Cell and tissue development   Cell Communication   Cytoskelton, cell division   Intra and intercellular signalling   Mechanical Engineering   Medical Devices Engineering   Microelectronics technology   Multisensory technology, multi sensing   Nano Biotechnology   Nanochemistry   Nano-Materials   NanoMedicine   Nanotechnology   Neurobiology   Stem Cell biology and hematopoiesis   Surface and interface physics   Tissue Culture
Project Title
 SAFETY TESTING IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY-ENABLED MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR HEALTH
From
1 April 2019
To
31 Mar 2023
Summary
SAFE-N-MEDTECH will build an innovative open access platform to offer companies and reference laboratories, the capabilities, knowhow, networks and services required for the development, testing, assessment, upscaling and market exploitation of nanotechnology-based Medical and Diagnosis Devices. This across the whole Life Cycle of nano-enabled MTs.
Funding Agency
European Union
Programme
Horizon 2020
Project Type
Open Test Bed Innovation
Project Title
 EXpanding Platforms for Efficacious mRNA Therapeutics
From
1 Jun 2019
To
31 may 2023
Summary
EXPERT is to create an off-the-shelf mRNA-delivering nanomedicine platform that is manufactured via a quality-by-design approach that meet the requirements for GMP scaling up and clinical translation.
Funding Agency
European Union
Programme
Horizon 2020
Project Type
RIA
Project Title
 Regulatory Science Framework for Nano(bio)material-based Medical Products and Devices
From
2017
To
2021
Summary
REFINE proposes a Regulatory Science Framework for the risk-benefit assessment of medical products and medical devices that are based on nanomedicines and biomaterials. The heart of our framework is the development of a product-specific Decision Support System that identifies the most efficient way to deliver the data required by regulation by the best-fitting methods. The decision tree will explicate the product's specific regulatory challenges and the priorities of both missing data and missing methods to match these challenges. It will thus allow planning a cost-and time efficient strategy both for necessary measurements and for the advancement of methods. Our approach is aligned with the industrial R&D practice of stage gating.
Funding Agency
European Union
Programme
H2020
Project Type
NMBP
Project Title
 European Nanomedicine Characterisation Laboratory
From
2016
To
2019
Summary
To provide a trans-disciplinary testing infrastructure covering a comprehensive set of preclinical characterisation assays (physical, chemical, in-vitro and in-vivo biological testing) allowing researchers to fully comprehend the bio distribution, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, safety profiles and immunological effects of their Med-NPs.
Funding Agency
European Union
Programme
H2020
Project Type
INFRASTRCUTURE
Project Title
 Risk Management of Biomaterials
From
2017
To
2021
Summary
BIORIMA aims to develop an Integrated Risk Management (IRM) framework for NBM used in ATMP and MD. The BIORIMA IRM framework is a structure upon which the validated tools and methods for materials, exposure, hazard and risk identification/assessment and management are allocated plus a rationale for selecting and using them to manage and reduce the risk for specific NBM used in ATMP and MD.
Funding Agency
European Union
Programme
H2020
Project Type
NMBP

Page 1 of 3
Details Date
Director of the Irish branch of the European Nanomedicine Characterisation Laboratory (EU-NCL) for Advanced Materials preclinical testing since 2015
Review College member (elected), Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO), Belgium Since 2026
External academic lecturer and examiner in Advanced Nano- Bio- Technology, Translational Research, Innovation at Polytechnic of Turin, Italy Since 2026
Associated educator and examiner member of the NANOMED ERASMUS Mundus MSc educational master's degree doctorate, University of Pavia, Italy, Coordinated by University of Paris, France Since 2020
Chair of the Irish organising committee for the Nano World Cancer day since 2013
External academic lecturer and examiner in Nanomedicine, Biotechnology, Translational Research, Innovation at University of Tartu, Estonia Sicne 2020
External academic lecturer and examiner in Biomaterials, Biotechnology, Translational Research, Innovation at University of Cambridge, UK Since 2021
President of the Clinical Safety Advisory Board for Safe-N-Medtech project since 2023
Journals Reviewer for Cancer Research, Nature Nano, Nature Bioengineering, Nature Communications, Nature Methods and other for Springer-Nature publisher Since 2016
Review College member (elected), Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO), Belgium since 2026
External academic lecturer and examiner in Nanomedicine, Biotechnology, Translational Research, Innovation at University of Pavia, Italy Since 2016
Executive Board Member European Technology Platform (ETP) in Nanomedicine 2009 - 2018
Director of the Irish branch of the European Nanomedicine Characterisation Laboratory (EU-NCL) for Advanced Materials preclinical testing since 2015
External academic lecturer and examiner in Nanomedicine, Biotechnology, Translational Research, Innovation at University degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Italy since 2019
European Commission External Expert Evaluator (appointed) Since 2018
Expert Advisory Board Member of Metrino the flaghship EU Metrology for Innovative Nanotherapeutics project since 2024
Member of the Trinity St James's Cancer Institute Translational Nanomedicine Since 2019
Supervisory board member of the European Union EIT Health KIC 2022-2025
Expert evaluator panel member (elected) Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO), Belgium area Nanomedicine, Translational Research, Molecular Medicine, Clinical Research, Pharmaceutical technology, Biotechnology 2019-2025
European Commission External Expert Evaluator (appointed) since 2018
International Advisory Group EuroNanoForum 2013 - Area Nanomedicine, Healthcare, Nanobiotechnology and Biomaterials (before previous promotion) 2013
Associated educator and examiner member of the Erasmus Mundus Joint master's Degree Nanomedicine for Drug Delivery. (NANOMED EMJMD first phase), University of Anger, France 2016-2020
Guest Associate Editor in Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine - Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Nanobiotechnology Sep 2019
Editorial Board Member of Precision Nanomedicine June 2018
Editorial Board Member of Nature Scientific Reports - Nature Publishers Jan 2018
Academy of NanoGagliato, organising committee Dec-2016
Nano World Cancer day - organising committee Since 2013
Language Skill Reading Skill Writing Skill Speaking
English Fluent Fluent Fluent
French Basic Basic Basic
Italian Fluent Fluent Fluent
Details Date From Date To
TTMI Executive Management Committee Member (TCD)(Appointed) 2025 to date
Trinity Translational Medicine Institute (TTMI) Sustainability Committee Member (Appointed) 2025 to date
Trinity College Green Laboratory and Sustainability Committee Member 2025 to date
European Science Foundation (ESF) Expert member 2025 to date
Scientific Advisory Panel member - Metrino Infrastructure EU Flagship project 2024 to date
European Commission Health and Digital Executive Agency - External Expert member 2024 to date
European Union Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) for Health, Supervisory Board members (elected) 2024 to date
President of the Clinical Safety Advisory Board for Safe-N-Medtech OITB (elected) 2023 to date
European Union Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) for Health, TCD Lead Principal Investigator 2022 2025
Associate Director for Research, School of Medicine (TCD) (elected) 2019 2024
European Member of the BioNanoNet, (Austria) (elected) 2018 to date
Member of European Technology Platform (ETP) in Nanomedicine 2009 to date
Chair of the Toxicology and Characterisation working group at the European Technology Platform in Nanomedicine (ETPN) (elected) 2012 2019
Vice-chairman of Nanodiagnostic Working Group - European Technology Platform in Nanomedicine (elected) 2009 2012
Member of the European Society of Molecular Imaging 2011 2015
Member of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland 1998 2008
Member of the European Society of Biomechanics 2004 2010
Member of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association 2004 2008
Membro dell'ordine degli Ingegneri Italiani 1998 2000
Member of the Bioelectromagnetics Society 2005 2006
Costanza Di Marco, Sarah Kennedy, Adriele Prina Mello, Evaluating an ECM-Mimetic Basement Membrane as a Modulator of Cellular and Microbial Dynamics in Chronic Wounds, Dublin Academy of Pathogenomics & Infection Biology Group, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, 5th June 2026, 2026, Conference Output, PRESENTED  URL
Heeran Aisling B, Hannon Gary, Moran Barry, Ui Mhaonaigh Aisling, Passos Valeria Lima, Menon Meghana, Bhardwaj Anshul, Ravi Narayanasamy, Reynolds John, Prina-Mello Adriele, O'Sullivan Jacintha, Marcone Simone, Serum and adipose tissue-derived extracellular vesicles as biomarker reservoirs in oesophageal adenocarcinoma, Scientific Reports, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI  URL
Gabriele Vella, Martin P. Barr, Anne-Marie Baird, Adriele Prina-Mello, Dania Movia, Testing EV-Based Therapeutic Strategies in Physiologically Relevant In Vitro Lung Adenocarcinoma Models, The Irish Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ISGCT) Conference, Galway, 22"23 Jan 2026, 2026, Poster, PRESENTED  URL
Hackett David, Kane Laura E, Prina-Mello Adriele, Maher Stephen G, Current and emerging strategies to enhance chemotherapeutic efficacy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, BMC Medicine, 2026, Review Article, PUBLISHED  DOI  URL
Zamira V. Díaz-Riascos, Monserrat Llaguno-Munive, Nuria Lafuente-Gómez, Yurena Luengo, Sarah J. Holmes, Jeanne Volatron, Oihane Ibarrola, Sandra Mancilla, Francesca Sarno, José Javier Aguirre, Sarah Razafindrakoto, Paul Southern, Francisco J. Terán, Anna Keogh, Gorka Salas, Adriele Prina-Mello, Juan Carlos Lacal, Ángel del Pozo, Quentin A. Pankhurst, Manuel Hidalgo, Florence Gazeau, Álvaro Somoza, Simó Schwartz, Ibane Abasolo, Preclinical Development of Magnetic Nanoparticles for Hyperthermia Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 17, (2), 2025, p2924 - 2939, p2924-2939 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Anne R. Kinsella, Adriele Prina-Mello, Laure Marignol, Evaluation of the association between sex-linked genes and treatment response in lung cancer, Radiotherapy and Oncology, 212, 2025, p111159 - 111159, p111159-111159 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Melissa Anne Tutty, Tecla Simone, Adriele Prina-Mello, Development of a complex 3D in vitro alternative model to evaluate the safety of advanced materials, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 504, 2025, p117520 - 117520, p117520-117520 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
. J. Huber, A. M. Booth, I. Beer, I. Bianchi, R. Drexel, O. Geiss, D. Mehn, F. Meier, A. Molska, J. Parot, L. Sørensen, G. Vella, A. Prina-Mello, R. Vogel, F. Caputo, N. P. Ivleva, Inter-comparison of Different Fractionation and Batch Methods for the Physicochemical Characterization and Quantification of Nanoplastics, 23rd International Symposium on Field- and Flow-based Separations, Cité des Congrès in the heart of Nantes, France, 3-6 Jun 2024, 2024, Conference Paper, PRESENTED  URL
Soliman, M.G. and Trinh, D.N. and Ravagli, C. and Meleady, P. and Henry, M. and Movia, D. and Doumett, S. and Cappiello, L. and Prina-Mello, A. and Baldi, G. and Monopoli, M.P., Development of a fast and simple method for the isolation of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles protein corona from protein-rich matrices, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 659, 2024, p503-519 , Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Jeremie Parot, Dora Mehn, Hanna Jankevics, Natalia Markova, Michele Carboni, Camilla Olaisen, Andrea D Hoel, Margret S Sigfusdottir, Florian Meier, Roland Drexel, Gabriele Vella, Birgitte McDonagh, Terkel Hansen, Huong Bui, Geir Klinkenberg, Torkild Visnes, Sabrina Gioria, Patricia Urban-Lopez, Adriele Prina-Mello, Sven Even Borgos, Fanny Caputo, Luigi Calzolai, Quality assessment of LNP-RNA therapeutics with orthogonal analytical techniques, Journal of Controlled Release, 367, 2024, p385-401 , Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

Page 1 of 27
Adriele Prina-Mello, The importance of preclinical testing: consideration on model relevance for testing innovation, The 9th workshop NANOMED - Nano drug delivery for immunotherapy, Pavia, Italy, 22-24 July 2026, 2026, NANOMED EMJMD committee and Univeristy of Pavia, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Adriele Prina-Mello, Translational approach required for the development of the next generation of medical devices, TEN4CARE NANOMED Summer School 2026: Medicinal and Tissue engineering, University of Pavia, 20-22 July 2026, 2026, TEN4CARE project consortium and University of Pavia committee, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Adriele Prina-Mello, Advanced Medical Technologies: from concept to product, Advanced Biomaterials-based Technologies: from concept to product, Polytechnic of Turin, 1-3 July 2026, 2026, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Adriele Prina-Mello, Medical Devices Regulatory requirements for in vitro testing, INJECTHEAL Project Wound Healing workshop, JOANNEUM RESEARCH COREMED/HEALTH, 22.01.2026, 2026, INJECTHEAL Project and JOANNEUM RESEARCH, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Adriele Prina-Mello, How to make a Research Institute sustainable, Translational Medicine Conference 2026, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute (TTMI), 27th Mar 2026, 2026, Oral Presentation, PRESENTED
Adriele Prina-Mello, Translational approaches for Advanced therapy medicinal products, NANOMED Summer School 2026: SS Medicinal tissue engineering, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, 20-22 Jul 2026, 2026, Notes: [Forum discussion and panel debate], Oral Presentation, PRESENTED
Costanza Di Marco, Sarah Kennedy, Sophia Khan, Matteo Santin, Adriele Prina Mello, Preliminary safety evaluation of an ECM-mimetic basement membrane as possible modulator in chronic wounds microenvironment, Tissue & Cell Engineering Society Conference, Huxley Building, Moulsecoomb Campus, Brighton, 15-17 Jun 2026, 2026, Poster, PRESENTED
Adriele Prina-Mello, 'Nanomedicine and Magnetic Hyperthermia', Breakthrough Cancer Exhibition: Cancer Revolution: Science, Innovation and Hope, Stephen"s Green Shopping Centre, Dublin, Breakthrough Cancer Research organisation, 2025, -, Exhibition, EXHIBITED
Adriele Prina-Mello, Translational approach for nanomedicines, Nanomedicine Elective module a.y 25/26, St. Caterina College, Pavia (Italy), 1-5 Dec 2025, 2025, St. Caterina College, Pavia (Italy), Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Adriele Prina-Mello, TTMI Sustainability: How to make a Research Institute sustainable, TTMI Conference 2025, TTMI, TCD, 28 Mar 2025, 2025, TTMI committee, Invited Talk, PRESENTED

  


Page 1 of 7
Award Date
Fellow of Trinity College Dublin (Elected) Apr 2021
My Green Lab Certification Accredited Professional Jul 2025
Trinity College Dublin Sustainability leadership award Mar 2025
European Association for Cancer Research (LBCAM lab) Feb 2024
Malvern Invited Talk at European NanoMedicine 2017 Apr 2017
FutureFlash! Best EC Project competition - EuroNanoForum 2015 Jul 2015
European Technology Platform on Nanomedicine 10th Anniversary Award (Local Organiser) Jun 2015
M.Sc. in Translational Oncology - Best new postgraduate course award as lecturer Apr 2014
EuroNanoForum 2013, Poster prize Jun 2013
Best Toxicology Paper 2012 - Society of Toxicology Mar 2012
International Academy of Nanomedicine, Second World Congress of Nanomedicine Oct 2010
Bioelectromagnetics Society and European Bioelectromagnetics Association award 2005
IEI/Medtronic Bioengineering Award Medal 2003
Calgary Award at the World Congress of Biomechanics, Calgary (Canada) 2002
Student award, 5th International Conference on Cellular Engineering, Aachen (Germany) 2001
My research programme sits at the translational core of nanomedicine, bridging nanomaterial engineering, biological characterisation, and clinical application, evidenced by a Google Scholar record of over 11,000 citations and an h-index of 56 (Scopus 49, Web of Science 46), and by election as a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin (2021). As Founder and Director of the Laboratory for Biological Characterization of Advanced Materials (LBCAM), the Irish node of the European Nanomedicine Characterisation Laboratory (EU-NCL), I have built critical translational infrastructure for nanomedicine in Europe, reinforced by leadership roles across twelve EC-funded consortia (including EU-NCL, REFINE, Safe-N-MedTech and NoCanTher), through which I have supported translation of eight technology platforms from bench to bedside since 2011. This trajectory has now matured into a first-in-human clinical investigation: the EU-funded NanoPanther project (approved Aug 2026), built directly on my magnetic-hyperthermia and nanoparticle-safety research, is progressing to multisite clinical investigation for pancreatic cancer treatment. My publication record substantiates deep expertise in preclinical nanomaterial safety, imaging and regulatory science, from immunotoxicity of oncology nanomedicines (Hannon et al., Advanced Science, 2019) to the 2024 international nanomedicine standardisation roadmap I co-authored (Drug Delivery and Translational Research), reflecting my ETPN Characterization and Toxicology working-group chairmanship. Collectively, this portfolio unites nanomaterial science, biological safety assessment, and regulatory translation into a coherent, high-impact trajectory, the interdisciplinary, internationally engaged research profile driving nanomedicine from laboratory innovation into clinical and regulatory reality.