Principal Investigator

PhD, Academy Research Fellow

Haartmaninkatu 8 (PO Box 63)
00014 University of Helsinki

Phone: +358 2941 25555
E-mail: liisa.kauppi@helsinki.fi

Postdoctoral researcher

Project: LINE-1 retrotransposition in human cancers

About 50% of the human genome is derived from transposable elements or “jumping genes” that copied its sequence and inserted into a novel genomic location. Out of different families of transposable elements, Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements or LINE-1s are the only autonomously mobile element in the human genome. Although over 500,000 copies of LINE-1s exist in the human genome, approximately only 100 of them can move. As LINE-1s actively move in different cancer genomes, my research focuses on finding which LINE-1s are particularly active in high-grade serous ovarian cancer and where do de novo LINE-1 insertions occur in the cancer genome.

E-mail: barun.pradhan@helsinki.fi

PhD student

Project: The effect of interplay between DNA mismatch repair proteins and chromatin on local mutation frequency

My research focuses on mutational dynamics shaped by DNA mismatch repair. I am interested in why and where replication errors accumulate, and on the other hand, are repaired in different tissues and cell types.

E-mail: elli.aska@helsinki.fi

PhD Student

Project: Sensitizing DNA repair proficient ovarian cancer cells to chemotherapy

My research focuses on DNA damage repair, especially homologous recombination (HR) repair, in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). In our lab, we have established an immunofluorescence-based assay to detect HR deficiency in HGSOC tumor cells. By utilizing this assay, my aim is to find a way to (re-)sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy by manipulating HR repair pathway.

E-mail: sanna.pikkusaari@helsinki.fi

PhD Student

Project: LINE-1 retrotransposition dynamics in high-grade serous ovarian cancer

LINE-1 are transposable elements that comprise approximately 17% of human DNA. Even though silent in normal cells, LINE-1s are transcriptionally active in different types of cancer, often resulting in de novo insertions and therefore conducting to genomic instability. I am interested to understand the genomic evolution of LINE-1 activity in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

E-mail: fatih.genc@helsinki.fi

Masters student

Lab manager

E-mail: saundarya.shah@helsinki.fi

Summer student