People

Principal Investigator

PhD, Professor of molecular cancer biology

Haartmaninkatu 8 (PO Box 63)
00014 University of Helsinki

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

PhD student

There is recent, mounting evidence that bacteria and viruses play a previously unappreciated role in cancer development and response to therapy. Microbiota encompasses a wide variety of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi) and has gathered increasing attention regarding their role in carcinogenesis.  Our objective is to provide a new perspective into the molecular behavior of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), by studying the presence and role of bacteria and viruses in causing DNA damage, and to present novel target treatments aimed towards bacteria and viruses to improve the clinical outcome of this disease.

E-mail: oussama.kramisenhaji@helsinki.fi

PhD student

Project: Targeting CCNE1 Amplification in HGSOC
Centered on high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), my research is rooted in the pivotal role of DNA damage and its targeted treatments. My research aims to tackle CCNE1 amplification in HGSOC, a genetic alteration present in at least 20% of the HGSOC patients. My dedication centers on understanding the molecular intricacies underlying CCNE1 amplification and its impact on HGSOC progression. Given that existing therapies are efficient solely in HR-deficient tumors, I aim to delve into synthetic lethality approaches specifically tailored for HR-proficient tumor cells harboring CCNE1 amplification.

E-mail: anu.anil@helsinki.fi

PhD student

The goal of my project is to understand the temporal location of the DNA damage (% in S phase), the differences in the tumour microenvironment (TME) between HR-deficient and HR-proficient tumours and propose avenues for alternative treatment strategies.

E-mail: srividhya.sundaresan@helsinki.fi

PhD Student

My research focuses on advancing the functional homologous recombination (fHR) assay developed in our lab, which holds significant potential for identifying HR-deficient (HRD) cases responsive to PARP inhibitors and chemotherapy. My expertise lies in the fHR testing method, with my current goal being its adaptation to de novo metastatic prostate cancer—a setting where PARPi has shown great promise in recent years.
Additionally, I aim to integrate genomic data to enhance the identification of HRD cases and evaluate the fHR assay’s performance by comparing it against real-world clinical outcomes. This work seeks to bridge functional testing and genomics to refine precision oncology approaches for HRD-driven cancers.

E-mail: ezgi.karagoz@helsinki.fi

Lab manager

E-mail: minna.eriksson@helsinki.fi

Phone: 0504489442

Master's student

A knock-out mouse model (Dnah3-/-) previously generated in the lab displays sperm immotility and consequently also male infertility. In my project, I use FinnGen data to see if genomic variants in the Dnah3 gene also lead to infertility and/or subfertility in Finnish men. Moreover, I analyze FinnGen DNA sequence data from men with the appropriate phenotypes and then compare this data to healthy controls. 

E-mail: filippa.tallqvist@helsinki.fi

Post-doctoral researcher

sweta.jha@helsinki.fi