People

Researchers working in the Fagerholm group, links to their publications, contact info etc.

Alumni can be found at the bottom of the page.

Group
Susanna Fagerholm, PI

Dr Susanna Fagerholm (Professor in Cell and Molecular Biology, Group leader) has a longstanding interest in immune cell integrins. She is interested in integrin regulation in vivo and the roles of immune cell integrins in health and disease. Susanna completed her PhD in 2002 (jointly supervised by Prof Gahmberg, University of Helsinki and Prof Cohen, University of Dundee). After a postdoctoral period in Prof Gahmberg’s laboratory (2004-2007), she started working as a PI and lecturer in Immunology at University of Dundee in Scotland in 2007, where she headed her own research group working on leukocyte integrins in health and disease until 2013. In 2013, she returned to Finland on a Finnish Academy Research Fellowship to start a research group in Helsinki.

Email: Susanna.Fagerholm (at) helsinki.fi

Heidi Harjunpää, Postdoc

Heidi did her PhD about cancer immunotherapy at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute/the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. More specifically, she assessed the safety and therapeutic potential of combination immune checkpoint blockade. Currently Heidi is investigating the role of integrins in tumor immunology.

Email: Heidi.Harjunpaa (at) helsinki.fi

Imran Khan, Postdoc

Imran did his PhD in Comparative genomics from CIIMAR, University of Porto. He received Academy of Finland Postdoctoral research funding for project “Genotype-phenotype mapping of craniofacial development and adaptation in squamate reptiles”. Presently, He is working as Computational Biologist using NGS approaches to understand Dendritic cell mechanical immune memory in health and disease. His interest and expertise involve Molecular Biology, Genomics, Epigenomics (ATAC-Seq & ChIP-Seq), Transcriptomics, Single Cell-Omics, Evo-Devo and Human Microbiome in Intestinal health, disease and therapy. He is Wildlife enthusiast.

Email: imran.khan (at) helsinki.fi

Marc Llort Asens, MSc

Marc studies beta2-integrin signalling and interaction with other cytoplasmic proteins and their association with pathologies.

Email: Marc.LlortAsens (at) helsinki.fi

Guillem Saldo Rubio, MSc

Guillem studies the increased anti-tumour response seen when dendritic cells present deficient Beta2-integrins. He hopes to be able to find a way to induce this anti-tumour response in normal dendritic cells. He has a background in drug discovery and biotecnology.

 

Email: guillem.saldo (at) helsinki.fi

Riku Somermäki, MSc

Riku did his Master’s in cell and molecular biology in Université Grenoble Alpes, France specializing in neurosciences. He is working with beta2-integrins role in regulation of energy metabolism of the immune cells with the hopes of understanding how this signaling network is organized.

Email: Riku.Somermaki-at-Helsinki.Fi

Yunhao Cui, MSc

Yunhao graduated from China Medical University. His research focused on the mechanism of Alzheimer’s disease. His current research is to explore the relationship between beta2-integrins in microglia and Alzheimer's disease.

Alumni

Dr Vicky Morrison, Arthritis Research UK Fellow, Principal Investigator, University of Glasgow

Dr Martyn James, Head of Genome Profiling, Biomedicum Functional Genomics Unit, University of Helsinki

Dr Tiina Öhman, docent, postdoctoral researcher, Varjosalo Laboratory, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki

Dr Liisa Uotila, Planning officer of doctoral education, University of Helsinki

Dr Terhi Savinko, Laboratory supervisor, Allergen laboratory, Skin and Allergy Hospital, HUS

Dr Mette Ilander

Dr Carla Guenther

Dr Imrul Faisal, Fortum