People

I study cardiovascular biology with a particular interest in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and their roles in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. My research focuses on the qualitative properties of LDL particles, including their lipid and protein composition, aggregation susceptibility, interactions with arterial proteoglycans, and links to inflammation and plaque formation. I combine clinical and molecular approaches, including lipidomic and proteomic analyses, to better understand how lipoprotein characteristics contribute to cardiovascular risk beyond traditional lipid measurements. Through this research, we aim to identify mechanisms that could support more individualized prevention and treatment strategies for atherosclerotic disease.

In addition to research, I am actively involved in teaching and mentoring students. I am particularly interested in making complex biological concepts accessible and engaging for students through interactive and research-informed teaching approaches. I coordinate the Molecular and Physiological Basis of Health (MAP-Health) M.Sc. study track. I am a member of the Executive Committee of the and a board member of the and the .

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Dysregulation of inflammation underlies pretty much every known disease, and understanding the checks and balances of these complex networks is my passion. Since joining the Öörni lab in 2018 I try to understand how circulating or trapped lipoproteins get modified, and how these modifications cause inflammation in the endothelium of blood vessels and activate macrophages in the intima below. I use OMICs methods (proteomics, lipidomics, transcriptomics) in cell culture models and clinical samples to unravel these processes.

I am also a long-term board member of the and a member of the and the .

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I am a lipidomics researcher with extensive experience in mass spectrometry-based lipidomics studying an array of lipids, fatty acids and lipid mediators involved in metabolic and inflammatory pathways. I am interested in understanding the dynamics of lipids and lipid metabolism in biological systems. My current goal is to identify lipidomic biomarkers that are linked to cardiovascular health and disease, and to better understand their roles in the development and progression of cardiovascular events.

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My research has focused on early atherosclerosis and its underlying atherogenic mechanisms, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL) binding to aortic proteoglycans and LDL aggregation susceptibility. These processes are influenced not only by circulating LDL concentrations, but also by the lipid composition of LDL particles, which I investigate using mass spectrometry-based techniques. The goal of my research is to better understand how lipids and nutrition contribute to these atherosclerotic processes.

In addition, I conducted a clinical intervention trial in which participants supplemented their daily diets with 4 g/day of icosapent ethyl (omega-3). This experience provided extensive expertise across the full research pipeline, from participant recruitment and clinical coordination to laboratory analyses and data interpretation. I have strong expertise in lipidomics and lipoprotein analysis, complemented by well-developed communication and interpersonal skills that support effective interdisciplinary collaboration.

I’m also appointed to the European Atherosclerotic Society’s Young Fellows programme’s class of 2026-2028

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I'm Alina, sometimes referred to as "SMase person". I joined the group in 2022 as a PhD student. In brief, my topic embraces the mechanism and clinical relevance of LDL aggregation induced by acid sphingomyelinase (aSMase), a process lying at the basis of the development of atherosclerosis.

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I started in the Öörni group at the end of 2020 as a master’s student and I did my master’s thesis in a hypertriglyceridemic mice model -project. After that I continued as a PhD student, and my current research focuses on how periodontitis affects lipoproteins and inflammation in atherosclerosis.

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I received my MSc in Translational Medicine from the University of Helsinki (2025). I joined the lab as a master’s student in 2023 and will continue studying differences in apoB-containing lipoprotein subfractions as a PhD student. My other passions include doing sports, especially basketball and soccer, and spending time in nature.

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I am a master's student in neuroscience and systems physiology. I joined the Öörni's Lab to complete my master's thesis project, which focuses on optimizing methods for investigating macrophage lipid mediator production in response to modified LDL (low-density lipoprotein). My main interests in biology include metabolism, inflammation, and generally systems physiology.

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Hi! My name is Alice Constantine Tuvblad and I am a Masters Student in the Neuroscience Masters Program. I joined the Öörni lab in spring 2026 to complete my masters thesis focused on LDL aggregation within a sample cohort focusing on various diet groups.

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