Mike Vella is Vice President of Machine Learning at Oxford Nanopore Technologies, where he leads teams developing machine learning systems for nanopore sequencing and biological signal analysis. He received his PhD in Computational Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge after previously studying physics at the University of Bristol.

Over the course of his career, Mike has focused on applying high-performance computing and machine learning to complex biological problems, spanning sequencing, signal processing, variant detection, and protein engineering. At Oxford Nanopore, he has led work on improving the accuracy and speed of AI-driven basecalling systems, including large-scale GPU optimisation efforts enabling real-time analysis on modern accelerated hardware platforms. His teams also work on applying AI beyond primary analysis, including variant calling and the design of nanopores and associated enzymes.

Mike is particularly interested in the intersection of machine learning, scientific instrumentation, and high-performance systems engineering, and in how advances in AI are reshaping genomics and molecular biology.