Fabrizio Menardo

Dr. Fabrizio Menardo is a researcher in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of Zurich. His work focuses on the genomics, evolution, and epidemiology of microbial pathogens, with a dual focus on wheat powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He leads projects analyzing population genetics, fungicide resistance dynamics in agricultural pathogens, and molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis. His research employs large-scale genomic approaches, including whole-genome sequencing and molecular surveillance, to understand pathogen adaptation and inform disease control strategies.

Research Interests:

• Population genomics of plant and human pathogens
• Evolutionary dynamics of resistance mechanisms
• Molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases
• Climate and host adaptation in fungal pathogens
• Genomic basis of fungicide resistance

Publications: His work spans 20+ peer-reviewed articles, including high-impact journals like PLoS Biology, Nature Genetics, and The Lancet Microbe. Recent studies investigate:

• Genomic surveillance of European wheat mildew populations
• Evolutionary drivers of M. tuberculosis transmission and latency
• Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in TB

Academic Activities: Teaches courses in microbial genomics and supervises research teams. Collaborates internationally on projects spanning Europe, South Africa, and Tanzania.

Labs/Teams: Heads a research group focused on pathogen genomics, combining field sampling with computational analysis.