Brief Background

PhD in collagen-binding integrins (Turku, Finland); Postdoc at CR-UK, LIR with Prof. Peter J. Parker; Lab established in 2003 (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland); Now Academy Professor and Professor of Molecular Cell Biology at University of Turku Centre for Biotechnology.
For an interview with Johanna visit the Journal of Cell Biology: People and ideas.

Technical Staff

Petra Laasola

Laboratory Technician

Ivaska Lab

+358 (0)29 450 3758

petra.laasola [at] utu.fi

Current Role

Day-to-day laboratory organisation and assisting in several research projects

Research skills

Molecular biology, immunoprecipitation, PLA, IHC & IF and FACS analysis

Karla Saukkonen

Research Assistant

Ivaska Lab

karla.saukkonen [at] utu.fi

Jenni Siivonen

Laboratory Technician

Ivaska Lab

+358 (0)29 450 3758

jenni.siivonen [at] utu.fi

Current role

Day-to-day laboratory organisation and assisting in several research projects

Research skills

Cell culture, DNA & RNA purification, Western blotting, IF, recombinant protein production, qRT-PCR

Doctoral Candidates

Aleksi Isomursu

Doctoral Candidate

Ivaska Lab

+358 (0)29 450 3789

aleksi.isomursu [at] bioscience.fi

Project title

Mechanotransduction mechanisms in cancer

Research interests

Cancer, actin cytoskeleton, cell migration, ECM, mechanotransduction

Niklas Jäntti

Doctoral Candidate

Ivaska Lab

niklas.z.jantti [at] utu.fi

Omkar Joshi

Doctoral Candidate

Ivaska Lab

omkar.joshi [at] utu.fi

Jasmin Kaivola

Doctoral Candidate

Ivaska Lab

jasmin.e.kaivola [at] utu.fi

Nicolas Pasquier

Doctoral Candidate

Ivaska lab, office 4121

nicolas.pasquier [at] utu.fi

Maria Taskinen

Doctoral Candidate

Ivaska Lab

matask [at] utu.fi

Project title

MASTL and cell adhesion

Research interests

Cancer, cell adhesion, actin cytoskeleton, cell cycle

Postdoctoral Researchers

Megan Chastney

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ivaska Lab

megan.chastney [at] utu.fi

James Conway

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ivaska Lab

james.conway [at] utu.fi

Project title

Regulation of integrin phosphorylation

Research interests

FRET biosensors and 3D models

Michal Dibus

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ivaska Lab

michal.dibus [at] utu.fi

Gautier Follain

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ivaska & Jacquemet Labs

gautier.follain [at] utu.fi

Jacquemet Lab: https://cellmig.org/lab-members/

Hellyeh Hamidi

Research Coordinator

Leave on absence (Ivaska Lab)

+358 (0)29 450 3787

hellyeh.hamidi [at] bioscience.fi

Research interests

Integrin activity, cell adhesion, cancer, cell migration

Paulina Moreno Layseca

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ivaska Lab

paulina.morenolayseca [at] bioscience.fi

Project title

LIMA1 in Rab21-mediated integrin trafficking

Research interests

Rab21, integrins, endosomes, LIMA1, cancer

Mathilde Mathieu

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ivaska Lab

mathilde.mathieu [at] utu.fi

Miika Niemeläinen

Project Researcher

Ivaska Lab

miika.s.niemelainen [at] utu.fi

Hanna Parkkola

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ivaska Lab

hkpark [at] utu.fi

Undergraduate Students

Eva Jou Olle

Undergraduate Student

Ivaska Lab

eva.e.jouolle [at] utu.fi

Alumni

Doctoral Candidates

• Aki Stubb (thesis defended 2019)
• Pranshu Sahgal (thesis defended 2018)
• Jonna Alanko (thesis defended 2016)
• Riina Kaukonen (thesis defended 2016)
• Nicola De Franceschi (thesis defended 2016)
• Reetta Virtakoivu (thesis defended 2015)
• Gunilla Högnäs (thesis defended 2013)
• Juha Rantala (thesis defended 2011)
• Jonna Nevo (thesis defended 2011)
• Karolina Vuoriluoto (thesis defended 2010)
• Saara Tuomi (thesis defended 2010)
• Teijo Pellinen (thesis defended 2009)
• Elina Mattila (thesis defended 2009)

Postdocs

• Jaroslav Icha – 2019, next step: Application specialist for Promega cell-based assays and all luminescence products, Czech Republic
• Maria Georgiadou – August 2018, next step: Senior Researcher at Orion Pharma, Finland
• Mika Pietilä – until 2017, Next step: Astra Zeneca, Espoo, Finland
• ​Anja Mai – until 2016, Next step: Researcher at BerGenBio, Bergen, Norway
• Antti Arjonen – until 2015. Next step: Senior researcher at Misvik Biology Ltd, Turku, Finland
• Ghaffar Muharram – until 2013. Next step: Scientist at University of Lille, Lille, France
• Jeroen Pouwels – until 2013, Next step: group leader at Turku Centre for Biotechnology, Turku, Finland
• Stefan Veltel, Next step: lecturer at University of Applied Sciences, Bremen, Germany
• Emilia Peuhu – until 2019, next step: Group leader at Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku
• Guillaume Jacquemet – until 2019, next step: Group leader at Åbo Akademi, Faculty of Science and Engineering
• Elisa Närvä -until 2021, Next step: group leader at Institute of Biomedicine, Turku, Finland