Personnel

    Katri Vaparanta

    Doctoral Candidate

    +358 (0)29 450 4438 kmvapa [at] utu.fi

    Heidi Gerke

    Project Researcher

    hmsulo [at] utu.fi

    Heli Jokela

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    heli.jokela [at] utu.fi

    Niklas Paulin

    Undergraduate Student

    + 358 (0)50 5216649 niklas.paulin [at] bioscience.fi

    Emilia Holm

    Doctoral Candidate

    +358449708251 emilia.holm [at] abo.fi

    Background

    I received my Master’s degree in Cell biology at Åbo Akademi University, Finland in 2018 while working under Professor Kid Törnqvist. During this period, I was mainly studying what role the transcription factors TRb1 and Runx2 have in follicular thyroid cancer. As I finished my Master’s degree, I hoped to learn new techniques that are used in cell biology and thus became a PhD student in Professor John Eriksson’s lab. Currently, I study the importance of vimentin in the maintenance of nuclear integrity in fibroblasts. In addition, I am also involved in studies involving vimentin phosphorylation and interactions between lamins and heat shock factor 1 during heat shock.

    Research interests

    • Imaging
    • Nuclear integrity and function
    • Intermediate filament structure
    • Mechanosensing

    Mayank Modi

    Doctoral Candidate

    +358-(0)-469527179 maymod [at] bioscience.fi; mmodi [at] abo.fi

    Background

    • PhD in Cell Biology (ongoing)
    • MSc in Molecular systems biology (Dec 2019)
    • B. Tech. in Biotechnology (May 2016)

    Research interests

    • Fibroblasts in ECM deposition and remodeling
    • Vimentin mediated mechanotransduction in adipogenesis
    • Directional cell migration
    • Microscopy and bioimage analysis

    Peiru Yang

    Doctoral Candidate

    +385 (0)418084762 peiru.yang [at] abo.fi; peiru.yang [at] bioscience.fi

    Background

    • Trainee in John Eriksson Laboratory (2018-2019, Åbo Akademi University)
    • Trainee in Pharmaceutical Science Laboratory (2017-2018, Åbo Akademi University)
    • Master's Degree in Medicine (2016-2019, Jiangsu University, China)
    • Medical internship and rotation in surgery and radiology (2015-2016, The 81st Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, China)
    • Bachelor's Degree in Medicine (2010-2015, Jiangsu University, China)

    Research interests

    • Cytoskeletal signaling
    • Lipid droplet development and lipid metabolism
    • Immunometabolism
    • Wound Healing

    Jari Korhonen

    +358 (0)2 215 4062 ; BioCity 2nd floor, room 2066 jari.korhonen [at] abo.fi

    Activities in the core

    Maintenance and training: microscopes located on the 2nd floor

    Ulla Pentikäinen

    Academy Research Fellow/University lecturer (Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku)

    +358 505012574 ulla.pentikainen [at] utu.fi

    Mirva Pääkkönen

    Project Researcher

    +358 (0)29 450 2200 mirva.paakkonen [at] bioscience.fi

    Paulina Moreno Layseca

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    paulina.morenolayseca [at] bioscience.fi

    Project title

    LIMA1 in Rab21-mediated integrin trafficking

    Research interests

    Rab21, integrins, endosomes, LIMA1, cancer

    Emmi Lokka

    Doctoral Candidate

    emmi.lokka [at] utu.fi
    On maternity leave

    Inês Alvito Félix

    Doctoral Candidate

    Laura Lintukorpi

    Doctoral Student

    lamlin [at] utu.fi

    Veera Ojala

    Doctoral Candidate

    +358 (0)50 349 6323 vekaoj [at] utu.fi

    Johannes Merilahti

    Facility Coordinator

    +358 (0)29 450 3779 johannes.merilahti [at] bioscience.fi

    Marika Koivu

    Doctoral Candidate

    +358 (0)29 450 3786 mkahak [at] utu.fi

    Anne Jokilammi

    University Teacher

    +358 29 450 4737 anjosil [at] utu.fi

    Etta-Liisa Virtomaa

    Laboratory Technician

    etliva [at] utu.fi

    Kedar Batkulwar

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    +358 (0)29 450 3730 kedar.batkulwar [at] utu.fi

    Alexander Biehl

    Project Researcher

    alexander.biehl [at] bioscience.fi

    Sami Ventelä

    Group Leader

    satuve [at] utu.fi

    Venla Ojasalo

    Undergraduate Student

    venla.i.ojasalo [at] utu.fi

    James Conway

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    james.conway [at] utu.fi

    Project title

    Regulation of integrin phosphorylation

    Research interests

    FRET biosensors and 3D models

    Riina Kaukonen

    Senior Researcher

    riina.kaukonen@utu.fi

    Solveig Eriksson

    Project Researcher

    solveig.l.eriksson [at] utu.fi

    Nina Pettersson

    Doctoral Candidate, co-supervisor Dr. Eva Ekholm

    Alexandra Manea

    Undergraduate Student

    alexandra.a.manea [at] utu.fi

    Mariam Gouda

    Undergraduate Student

    mariam.gouda [at] utu.fi

    Rifahul Abrar Taiseer

    Undergraduate Student

    mratai [at] utu.fi

    Noushin Madani

    Doctoral Candidate

    noushin.madani [at] utu.fi

    Background

    I received my Master’s degree in Genetic Engineering from the National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Tehran, Iran) in 2013. I worked in the biopharmaceutical industry for six years in up-stream bioprocess and R&D, and also as an internal auditor and monoclonal antibody API supervisor. I came to Finland in March 2017 as a Research Assistant to work on vesicular compartments in bone-resorbing osteoclasts, as a member of the EU-funded EUROCLAST project (Marie Curie ESR) at the University of Turku. I joined Erikson's Lab in June 2018 as a PhD student. My research focuses on novel fundamental insights on the role of fibrotic-derived extracellular vesicles in myofibroblasts heterogeneity and mechanism of fibrosis.

    Research interests

    • Extracellular Vesicles • Wound healing • Biopharmaceutical manufacturing

    Sini Junttila

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    +358(0)29 450 3756 simaju [at] bioscience.fi

    Lana Mutabdzija

    Erasmus Exchange Student

    lana.l.mutabdzija [at] utu.fi

    Minna Kyläniemi

    Head of FFGC, Laboratory Manager

    +358 (0)29 450 3763

    Paula Luoma

    HR Specialist / Human Resources

    HR Specialist / Human Resources +358 (0)29 450 2676 paula.luoma [at] utu.fi

    Katri Kulmala

    Office Secretary / Support Services

    office [at] bioscience.fi

    Anneli Alamaunu

    Instrument Technician

    anneli.takala [at] utu.fi

    Hongbo Zhang

    Tenure Track Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory

    +358 (0)22 154 141 hongbo.zhang [at] utu.fi

    Christel Sourander

    Doctoral Researcher, Neuroscience

    +358 (0)29 450 3784 christel.c.sourander [at] utu.fi
    In my PhD project, I am studying how loss of cellular homeostasis may lead to behavioral changes at the level of the whole organism.

    Anu Kukkonen-Macchi

    Research Coordinator

    +358 (0) 294 503 796 anukuk [at] bioscience.fi

    Esko Pakarinen

    Project Specialist, Data Systems Specialist

    +358 (0)29 450 3764 esko.pakarinen [at] utu.fi

    Johannes Smolander

    Doctoral Candidate

    +358 (0)29 450 3800 johannes.smolander [at] bioscience.fi

    Jismi John

    Doctoral Researcher, Neuroscience

    +358 (0)29 450 3784 jimajo [at] utu.fi
    I work with Nikita and together we hope to identify molecular drivers of anxiety and depression. We do this using different types of in vivo and ex vivo imaging methods.

    Anna Aakula

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    +358 (0)29 450 3788 anna.aakula [at] bioscience.fi

    Background

    • PhD in Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki. Conducted in the research group of Prof. Olli Kallioniemi, at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki.
    • MSc in Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Åbo Akademi University.

    Project

    Dephosphorylational regulation of the epigenetic machinery in progression and treatment resistance of NSCLC.

    Maritta Kantanen

    Instrument Technician

    maritta.kantanen [at] utu.fi

    Santosh Lamichhane

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Maija Lespinasse

    Coordinator

    biocityturku [at] bioscience.fi

    Jasmin Kaivola

    Doctoral Candidate

    jasmin.e.kaivola [at] utu.fi

    Klaus Elenius

    Group Leader, Professor of Medical Biochemistry

    +358 (0) 29 540 4393 klaus.elenius [at] utu.fi

    Oluwatosin Abe

    Project Researcher

    Christina Oetken-Lindholm

    Project Engineer

    christina.oetken-lindholm [at] utu.fi

    Activities in the core

    Consultation, operations, training & maintenance: Flow Cytometry and back up for Mass Cytometry

    Sebastián Zuñiga Norman

    Project Researcher

    sizuno [at] utu.fi

    Mats Perk

    Project Researcher

    matsdaniel.perk [at] utu.fi

    Julia Mathlin

    Project Researcher

    julia.mathlin [at] utu.fi

    Otto Kauko

    M.D., Ph.D., Group Leader

    Suvi Rajaniemi

    Undergraduate Student

    suvi.a.rajaniemi [at] utu.fi

    Markus Lindén

    Project Researcher

    markus.linden [at] utu.fi

    Olaya Esparta-Gonzalez

    Project Researcher

    olaya.espartagonzalez [at] utu.fi

    Nikhil Gupta

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    +358 (0)29 450 3790 nikhil.gupta [at] utu.fi

    Background

    • Ph.D. in Biological Science (2020), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
    • Master in Bioscience and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), India

    Project

    Cancer therapy implications of species specific difference in requirement of PP2A mediated tumor suppression

    Mathilde Mathieu

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    mathilde.mathieu [at] utu.fi

    Henna Lehtonen

    Undergraduate Student

    henna.n.lehtonen [at] utu.fi

    Soroush Abyari

    Project Researcher, Neuroscience

    soroush.s.abyari [at] utu.fi

    Sara Metso

    Project Researcher

    +358 (0)29 450 3764 sara.m.metso [at] utu.fi

    Hanna Parkkola

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    hkpark [at] utu.fi

    Joel Lainio

    Undergraduate Student

    jnplai [at] utu.fi

    Iivari Kleino

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    iivari.kleino [at] utu.fi

    Ilia Evstafev

    Inna Starskaia

    Doctoral Researcher

    inna.starskaia (at) utu.fi

    Antonio Goncalves de Sousa

    Doctoral Candidate

    antonio.goncalvesdesousa [at] utu.fi

    Nirmal Poudel

    Doctoral Candidate

    nirpou [at] utu.fi

    Ivana Mikocziova

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    050 473 9618 ivana.mikocziova@utu.fi

    Maria Tuominen

    Project Engineer

    +358 (0) 29 450 4439 martuo [at] utu.fi

    Sakari Lätti

    Doctoral Candidate

    sakari.t.latti [at] utu.fi

    Pekka Akseli Postila

    Senior Researcher

    pekka.postila [at] utu.fi

    Emilie Rydgren

    Coordinator / Project Researcher

    050 473 9618 emilie.rydgren@utu.fi

    Roosa Kattelus

    Doctoral Researcher

    roosa.m.kattelus [at] utu.fi

    Gautier Follain

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    gautier.follain [at] utu.fi

    Sara Hernández Pérez

    Doctoral Candidate

    sarher [at] utu.fi
    Doctoral candidate in Pieta Mattila´s group. I am interested in lymphocyte biology and imaging.

    Laura Grönfors

    Laboratory Technician

    lmgron [at] utu.fi

    Pieta Mattila

    Affiliated Group Leader

    +358 (0)50 574 0780 pieta.mattila [at] utu.fi

    Nigatu Adossa

    Doctoral Candidate

    nigatu.a.adossa [at] utu.fi

    Rahul Biradar

    Doctoral Researcher

    +358 (0)29 450 3768 rahul.biradar [at] utu.fi

    Mari Tiehaara

    Undergraduate Student

    msstie [at] utu.fi

    Rui Liu

    Doctoral Candidate

    rui.liu [at] abo.fi

    Junnian Zhou

    Postdoctoral Resercher

    + 358 (0)449124391 junnian.zhou [at] utu.fi
    Holder of Biology Bechelor degree from Fudan university, Shanghai, China; Ph.D. degree from Beijing Institute of Transfusion Medicine, China. His research interests focus on the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in diseases, targeted therapy of cancer stem cells, tissue repair and radiation medicine based on adult stem cell therapy and multifunctional nanomaterials. He has published more than 30 articles in Hepatology (IF=11.711. 2015), Cell Death & Diseases (IF=5.9, 2019), Stem Cells Development (IF=4.6, 2012) and other journals.

    Nicolas Pasquier

    Doctoral Candidate

    nicolas.pasquier [at] utu.fi

    Sami Kurkinen

    Doctoral Candidate

    sami.t.kurkinen [at] utu.fi

    Dani Flinkman

    Project Researcher, Mass Spectrometry and Neuroscience

    +358 (0)29 450 3784 dani.flinkman [at] bioscience.fi

    Ujjwal Aryal

    Undergraduate Student

    ujjwal.u.aryal [at] bioscience.fi

    Megan Chastney

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    megan.chastney [at] utu.fi

    Rakesh Mahato

    Project Specialist

    rakesh.mahato [at] utu.fi

    Suvi-Riitta Sulander

    Undergraduate Student

    srmsul [at] utu.fi

    Riikka Lund [On leave]

    Head of FFGC, Group Leader, Adjunct Professor (Title of Docent), Senior Researcher

    +358 (0)29 450 3793

    Matilda Kråkström

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    matilda.v.krakstrom [at] utu.fi

    Afra Haque

    Doctoral Candidate

    afra.a.haque@utu.fi

    Niklas Jäntti

    Doctoral Candidate

    niklas.z.jantti [at] utu.fi