Turku Bioscience is proud to announce that Johanna Ivaska has received Academy of Finland funding for her Center of Excellence ”Biological Barrier Mechanics and Disease: From molecular-scale to tissue-level understanding of signal integration and forces (BarrierForce)‘’ for period  of 2022-2029. BarrierForce ( Barrierforce.utu.fi ) brings together five groups led by Prof. Johanna Ivaska (UTU), Pekka Lappalainen (HU), Pipsa Saharinen (HU), Ilpo Vattulainen (HU) and Sara Wickström (HU) with expertise in cell cytoskeleton and adhesions, tissue mechanics, vascular/epithelial barriers and scientific computing.

BarrierForce aims to decipher how the integrity and function of biological barriers in a body are controlled by the tissue environment, and by cell- and tissue-scale mechanics. BarrierForce will uncover the key principles of barrier mechanics and biology on the molecular-to-tissue level by using emerging and self-developed cutting-edge approaches combined with multi-scale biomolecular simulation models and artificial intelligence.

Professor Johanna Ivaska has also recently received 1,000,000 Eur funding from Jane and Aatos Erkko foundation for her research project “Cancer metastasis – new biological paradigms as drug targets.”

Warmest congratulations, Johanna!