I started as a Group Leader in the Medical Faculty in 2020 after completing my PhD training in University of Oslo and Postdoctoral training in Universities of Harvard and Cornell. During my career, I have adopted relevant techniques driven by the insights from the data generated. This has necessitated establishment of international collaborations. Currently, we have collaborative projects with Leibniz Institute on Aging and Universities of Oxford, Cornell, Turku and Trondheim, to name a few.
My scientific interest is broadly in the feedback relationships between metabolism and chromatin/transcription. More specifically, I have largely focused on the contribution of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) to the etiology of prostate cancer and uncovered a series of hitherto unrecognized relationships between OGT and metabolism, chromatin remodeling, transcription and cell cycle. In many of these cases, this has led to translationally relevant insights into the combination therapies that durably restrict prostate cancer cell proliferation.
Currently, our research focuses on the transcriptional kinases that regulate RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) activity. Compounds targeting transcriptional kinase halt the proliferation of aggressive prostate cancer cells, but currently it is not known, why cancer cells are so dependent on these kinases. RNA Pol II transcribes the protein-encoding part of the genome, and as such, ultimately dictates the fate of every cell. Transcriptional program is regulated at multiple levels, from epigenetic marks to alternative splicing. We have set up the tools to analyze chromatin structure, active transcription via metabolic labeling and alternative splicing. These tools are essential to explain why prostate cancer cells are so dependent on the high activity of the transcriptional kinases.
Email address: harri.itkonen@helsinki.fi
Contact: +358 2941 25315
I have graduated as a Master of Science in Technology from Aalto University. My major is biomedical engineering. The topic of my Master’s Thesis was retinal pigment epithelium heating treatment for age-related macular degeneration. In my PhD project, I study the mechanisms that regulate gene transcription, and how these mechanisms could be targeted in the treatment of lethal prostate cancer. I focus on three proteins that modify RNA Polymerase II post-translationally: cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK7 and CDK12) and O‐GlcNAc transferase (OGT). This project has the potential to uncover novel approaches for the treatment of prostate cancer. In my free time, I enjoy reading, dancing, and spending time in the nature.
Email address: satu.pallasaho@helsinki.fi
I have received my Master in Science degree specializing in Bioinformatics in 2017 from India. After that, I was working in an IT company (Persistent Systems) as a Domain Engineer (bioinformatician) for 3 years.
My PhD-project focuses on employing comprehensive transcriptome profiling of prostate cancer cells to explain:
The ultimate goal of my study is to develop a candidate treatment strategy against aggressive prostate cancer.
Email address: aishwarya.gondane@helsinki.fi
I have an MSc degree in Genetics from the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing, 2022). My PhD project focuses on transcription defects in prostate cancer.
I use a number of tools including RNA-seq and SLAM-seq to establish transcriptional effects. To decode epigenetic-effects, I evaluate chromatin structure. Finally, proteome-profiling is achieved through mass spectrometry.
I use wet-lab techniques along with computational tools in my experiments. The ultimate goal of my research is to establish how the transcriptional rewiring enables the aggressive phenotype of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. I hope that my discoveries can propose candidate treatment options against the currently lethal disease, CRPC.
I graduated from Pondicherry University (India) with a Master of Science in Bioinformatics (2021). My MSc Thesis focused on investigating the interaction between insulin and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) using computational techniques. Subsequently, I worked as a research intern at Boltzmann Labs Pvt Ltd in Bengaluru (India), to use my bioinformatics skills by working with a platform intended for the generation of lead compounds in drug development on a case study on chronic myeloid leukemia.
My PhD project focuses on exploiting transcriptional stress to control prostate cancer with the hope of developing novel therapies.
Email address: shivani.yalala@helsinki.fi
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