Translational Brain✓Repair

Human neurons, microglia and beyond!

Welcome to the Translational Brain✓Repair Lab!

We are interested in molecular and cellular mechanisms of brain repair, focusing on neurons, microglia, and their translational applications in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. 

Human neurons

Dopaminergic neurons are the most vulnerable cells in Parkinson's disease. Starting with human stem cells, we generate dopaminergic neurons in a dish. These cells are a handy proxy to study how human dopaminergic neurons develop, function, and respond to external stimuli. Our research focuses on generating human dopaminergic neurons that mimic pathophysiological features of ageing and human dopaminergic neurons.

Microglial heterogeneity

Microglia are the resident immune cells of the brain. They are constantly active performing versatile tasks during development and in steady state. Upon any brain disease, microglia react sometimes for good and sometimes for bad. To make these cells even more exiting, microglia are heterogenous, especially during development. Understanding the contribution of this microglial heterogeneity can open new avenues of how we understand brain pathophysiology.

Publications

Featured publications

Microglial subtypes: diversity within the microglial community. Vassilis Stratoulias, Jose Luis Venero, Marie-Ève Tremblay & Bertrand Joseph. EMBO Journal (2019) 38: e101997 (review).

Arg1+microglia are critical for shaping cognition in female mice. Vassilis Stratoulias, Rocío Ruiz, Shigeaki Kanatani, Ahmed M Osman, Jose A Armengol, Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno, Adriana-Natalia Murgoci, Irene García-Domínguez, Lily Keane, Guillermo Vázquez-Cabrera, Isabel Alonso-Bellido, Nathalie Vernoux, Dario Tejera, Kathleen Grabert, Mathilde Cheray, Patricia González-Rodríguez, Eva M Pérez-Villegas, Irene Martinez-Gallego, David Brodin, Javier Avila-Cariño, Mikko Airavaara, Per Uhlén, Michael T Heneka, Marie-Ève Tremblay, Klas Blomgren, Jose L Venero, Bertrand Joseph. bioRxiv.

About the team

Project: Bridging for bringing research to human brain. 

Favourite TV series: Breaking bad 

Favourite color: Purple 

Favourite cell type: Microglia 

Project: Function of the neurotrophic factor MANF and its role in human dopaminergic neuron development and function. 

Favourite TV series: Friends, Grey's Anatomy and Suits 

Favourite color: Blue 

Favourite cell type: Love-hate relationship with stem cells 

Project: Improving lysosomal function to reduce pathological alpha synuclein protein aggregation associated with Parkinson's disease 

Favourite TV series: "Lost" and "Rick and Morty" 

Favourite color: blue 

Favourite cell type: astrocytes 

Project: Exploring human features of Parkinson disease and their connection to cellular organelles. 

Favourite TV series: On the Road (by Jack Kerouac; book, because why not!) 

Favourite color: Blue  

Favourite cell type: CD8⁺ (Killer T) cell, because they have a clear mission and work efficiently 

Project: Novel ways to utilize microglia in treatments against glioblastoma. 

Favourite TV series: The Great British Bake Off 

Favourite color: Pastel 

Favourite cell type: Microglia 

Students

Ella Himanka, MSc thesis student

Project: Lysosomal profile of different cells 

Favourite TV series: Konflikti 

Favourite color: Forest green 

Favourite cell type: Microglia 

Being part of the Brain✓Repair group we have the invaluable support of
Open Positions

Are you an Erasmus or Master student or more senior? We are always looking for motivated and passionate individuals to join us! Planning exciting projects that have a meaningful impact takes time and collaboration. Therefore, we encourage you to contact us well in advance to explore potential opportunities and develop innovative projects together. 

 

Let’s work towards advancing brain research and making a difference! 

Stratoulias' recent publications in the University of Helsinki Research Portal
Contact info

vassileios.stratoulias@helsinki.fi 

 Faculty of Pharmacy, P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 5) 

University of Helsinki, Finland 

Courses

Interested in microglia? Check our Brain and Mind sponsored microglia course:

Previous members

2024 Miriam Agosti (Erasmus student/MSc thesis) 

2023 Umasankar Umamaheswari (Trainee -> 2024/MSc thesis) 

2023 Doraisamy Suhashini (Trainee -> 2024/MSc thesis) 

2023 Silvia Orsini (Erasmus student/MSc thesis) 

2023 Huai Hui Wang (Trainee) 

2023 Ali Tsaous Achmet (Trainee -> 2024/MSc thesis) 

2023 Anu Haapala (MSc thesis) 

2023 Arianna Arbona (Erasmus student/MSc thesis) 

2022 Siiri Hyvärinen (Trainee) 

2022 Fanny Bunn (Trainee) 

2022 Nea Ojala (Trainee) 

2021 Amanda Sandelin [Trainee -> 2022/MSc thesis -> Ph.D. researcher (current)] 

2022 Lauri Hella (MSc thesis) 

2022 Lilja Lahtinen (MSc thesis) 

2021 Helen Chen Ren (Erasmus student) 

2021 Anna Their (Trainee) 

2021 Elsi Tuominen (MSc thesis) 

2019 Simas Janutenas (Erasmus student) -> Ph.D. researcher (current)] 

2019 Efstathia Trypila (Erasmus student) 

2018 Leevi Lehtonen (Trainee) 

2018 Guillermo Cabrera (Erasmus student)