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

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

Jasmin Kaivola

Doctoral Candidate

Ivaska Lab

jasmin.e.kaivola [at] utu.fi

Martina Lerche

Doctoral Candidate

Ivaska Lab

+358 (0)29 450 3789

martina.lerche [at] bioscience.fi

Project title

Integrin regulation and trafficking in mechanosensing

Research interests

ECM, integrin, mechanotransduction, integrin trafficking

Johanna Lilja

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ivaska Lab

+358 (0)29 450 3789

johanna.lilja [at] bioscience.fi

Project title

Role of Shank family proteins in integrin activation

Research interests

Shank, integrin activation, sharpin, cell metabolism, tumour cell metastasis

Mitro Miihkinen

Doctoral Candidate

Ivaska Lab, 4th floor

+358 (0)29 450 3791

misami [at] utu.fi

Siiri Salomaa

Doctoral Candidate

Ivaska Lab

+358 (0)29 450 3786

siiri.salomaa [at] bioscience.fi

Project title

SHANK proteins in actin binding

Research interests

actin cytoskeleton, cell migration, cancer, SHANK, SHARPIN

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

Hussein Al Akhrass

Postdoctoral Researcher

hussein.al-akhrass [at] utu.fi

Project title

Signalling extent regulation of receptor tyrosine kinases in HER2-driven breast cancer

Research interests

Intracellular itinerary of membrane receptors, sorting proteins, cancer

Education

PhD student (University of Limoges, France)

James Conway

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ivaska Lab

james.conway [at] utu.fi

Project title

Regulation of integrin phosphorylation

Research interests

FRET biosensors and 3D models

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

paulina.morenolayseca [at] bioscience.fi

Project title

LIMA1 in Rab21-mediated integrin trafficking

Research interests

Rab21, integrins, endosomes, LIMA1, cancer

Elisa Närvä

Postdoctoral Fellow

+358 (0)29 450 3787

elisa.narva [at] utu.fi

Project title

Novel regulators of integrin activity and cell attachment

Research interests

Cell cycle, integrin activity, stem cell biology

Undergraduate Students

Kühl David

Undergraduate Student

Ivaska Lab, office 4121

Nicolas Pasquier

Undergraduate Student

Ivaska lab, office 4121

nicolas.pasquier [at] utu.fi

Taru Varila

Research Assistant

Ivaska Lab

taru.m.varila [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