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    Lab Members

    Group Leader

    Jukka Westermarck
    Research Director and Professor of Cancer Biology
    Turku Bioscience
    jukka.westermarck [at] utu.fi

    Contact Information

    Turku Bioscience P.O. Box 123, BioCity
    (Street addr. Tykistökatu 6 B)
    FIN-20521 Turku, Finland
    +358-294502880 (Jukka Westermarck)
    +358-294503790 (Group members)

    Laboratory Manager

    Tiina Arsiola

    Laboratory Manager

    Westermarck Lab, office 4123
    +358 (0)29 450 3788
    tiina.arsiola [at] bioscience.fi

    Background

    • Laboratory Manager, Turku Bioscience Centre, since 2012
    • University Research Fellow, Animal Bioscience, University of Eastern Finland,  2010-2011
    • Certificated Degree in Pedagogy (2010), Jyväskylä University of Applied Science, Finland
    • Research Associate, Animal Biotechnology, University of Eastern Finland, 2000-2010
    • Post Doctoral Fellow, Prostate cance​r research, University of Kuopio, Finland, 2004-2007
    • Post Doctoral Fellow, Prostate cancer research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA, 2001-2003
    • PhD in Animal Biotechnology (2001), University of Kuopio, Finland

    Postdoctoral Researchers

    Oxana Denisova

    Postdoctoral Reseacher

    Westermarck Lab, office 4120
    +358 (0)29 450 3788
    oxana.denisova [at] utu.fi

    Background

    • PhD in Molecular Virology (2014), Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Finland
    • MSc in Molecular Biology (2007), Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
    • Training at the Molecular Biology Education centre (2005 –2007), Institute of Protein Research, Pushchino, Russia

    Project

    PP2A in glioblastoma therapy resistance: novel opportunities for targeted therapeutics​

    Phuong Doan

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Westermarck Lab, Office 4120
    +358 (0)29 450 3790
    phuong.doan [at] utu.fi

    Background

    • DSc (Tech) in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (2022), Tampere University, Finland
    • MSc (Tech) in Bioengineering (2016), Tampere University of Technology, Finland

    Project

    Target mechanisms for CIP2A-mediated essentiality in homologous recombination deficiency BL-TNBC cells

    Nikhil Gupta

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Westermarck Lab, office 4120
    +358 (0)29 450 3790
    nikhil.gupta [at] utu.fi

    Background

    • PhD in Biological Science (2020), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
    • MSc (Tech.) in Bioscience and Bioengineering (2015), Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), India
    • MSc in Biochemistry (2012), CSJM University, Kanpur, India

    Project

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

    Mukund Sharma

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Westermarck Lab, office 4120
    +358 (0)29 450 3790
    mukund.sharma [at] bioscience.fi

    Background

    • PhD in Pathology (2024), Turku Doctoral Program in Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Finland
    • MSc in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (2015), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany

    Project

    Epigenetic regulation by PP2A and RAS synergy and its implication in cancer

    Venkatram Yellapragada

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Westermarck Lab, office 4120
    +358 (0)29 450 3790
    venkatram.yellapragada [at] utu.fi

    Background

    • PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology (2022), Research group of Prof. Taneli Raivio, Stem Cells and Metabolism (STEMM) Research Program, Research Programs Unit (RPU), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
    • MSc in Molecular Biotechnology (2014), Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland

    Project

    RAS/PP2A targets in rRNA metabolism in RAS-driven cancers

    Wei Zhang

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Westermarck Lab, office 4120
    +358 (0)29 450 3790
    wei.w.zhang [at] utu.fi
    Background
    • PhD candidate in Cancer Sciences, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom
    • MSc in Clinical Immunology (2019), The University of Manchester, United Kingdom
    Project

    Investigating the awakening mechanisms of drug-tolerant persister cancer cells

    Doctoral Candidates

    Shruti Bhardiya

    Doctoral Student

    Westermarck Lab, office 4120
    +358 (0)29 450 3790
    shrutinitin.bhardiya [at] utu.fi
    Background
    • MSc in Cellular and Molecular Oncology (2019), Amity University, Delhi NCR, India
    • BSc in Biotechnology (2017), University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India
    Project Small molecule targeting of oncogenic dual-specificity phosphatase DUSP6 in breast cancer

    Priya Parimelazhagan

    Doctoral Student

    Westermarck Lab, office 4120
    +358408148842
    ppasan@utu.fi
    Background
    • MSc in Molecular Biotechnology and Diagnostics, University of Turku, Finland
    • B.Tech in Biotechnology, Sathyabama University, Chennai, India
    Project Predictive biomarkers for stratifying aggressive HNSCC in the clinics.

    Technical Personnel

    Taina Kalevo-Mattila

    Laboratory Technician

    Westermarck Lab, lab 5080
    +358 (0)29 450 3758
    taina.kalevo-mattila [at] bioscience.fi

    Jesse Kamila

    Project Researcher, office 4120

    Westermarck Lab
    +358 (0)29 450 3790
    jesse.kamila [at] utu.fi

    Undergraduate Students

     

    Alumni

    PhD and Post-doc Affiliations

    PhD students

    NameYearsCurrent positionAffiliation
    Song-Ping Li1998-2003ProfessorShenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
    Melissa R. Junttila2001-2006Vice President, Head of BiologyORIC Pharmaceuticals, San Mateo, USA
    Antoine Mialon2003-2009Senior AssociateNeste, Espoo, Finland
    Minna Niemelä2005-2012Global Product ManagerRevvity Inc., Turku, Finland
    Anchit Khanna2007-2011Senior Medical LeadNovartis, Australia & New Zealand
    Anni Laine2007-2013Technical Support Scientist10x Genomics, Leiden, Netherlands
    Amanpreet Kaur2009-2016ResearcherINSERM, Strasbourg, France
    Otto Kauko2009-2017Group leaderUniversity of Turku, Turku, Finland
    Xi Qiao2011-2018Postdoctoral fellowKarolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sverige
    Eleonora Mäkelä2012-2021Medical advisorThe Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Helsinki, Finland
    Johannes Routila2013-2015Clinical specialistUniversity of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
    Joni Merisaari2016-2021Medical advisorAbbVie, Helsinki, Finland
    Srikar Nagelli2016-2023Postdoctoral fellowAstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK

    Post-docs

    NameYearsCurrent positionAffiliation
    Tim Holmström2004-2006Director in Target ScienceOrion Corporation, Turku, Finland
    Pietri Puustinen2004-2007Project founder, ScientistDanish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
    Christophe Come2006-2010Lead scientistAdcendo Aps, Copenhagen, Denmark
    Sari Vanhatupa2007-2009Medical advisorAstraZeneca, Espoo, Finland
    Sami Ventelä2007-2010Group leader, Deputy Department ChiefUniversity of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
    Juha Okkeri2007-2014Subject teacherAleksis Kivi Comprehensive School, Siuntio, Finland
    Yuba Raj Pokharel2009-2012Assistant ProfessorSouth Asian University, New Delhi, India
    Christian Rupp2013-2017Business Development DirectorLabcorp, Amsterdam, Netherlands
    Karolina Pavic2015-2020Postdoctoral researcherUniversity of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
    Laxman Yetukuri2016-2018Senior Applications SpecialistCSC – IT Center for Science Ltd., Helsinki, Finland
    Majid Momeny2017-2021InstructorTexas Medical Center, Houston, USA
    Julia Vainonen2018-2021University researcherUniversity of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland