Dr Kaukonen is an academic veterinarian and has dedicated her career to develop translational models to prevent and cure inherited eye diseases. She obtained her PhD (with distinction) in 2020 at the University of Helsinki on her work characterizing genetically several novel spontaneous canine models affected with inherited retinal dystrophy, glaucoma and microphthalmia. She then worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, funded by the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, at the Prof Robert E. MacLaren group focusing on clinical retinal gene therapy at the University of Oxford. There, she developed novel therapeutic approaches utilizing e.g. CRISPR gene editing and mirtron-mediated gene silencing to treat inherited retinal dystrophies.
Recently Dr Kaukonen returned to the University of Helsinki, where she leads her Translational eye disease genetics and gene therapy -group at the Faculty of Medicine. She was awarded Adjunct Professor (Docent) title in 2024 in Molecular Biology. Dr Kaukonen and her team has received over 830k € competed funding, and currently her team is financially supported by e.g. the Sigrid Jusélius, Mary and Georg C. Ehrnrooth and Evald and Hilda Nissi Foundations.
MSc Mikkonen received her Bachelor's degree in Biology in 2020, and Master's degree in Genetics and Molecular Biosciences in 2023 from the University of Helsinki. She then started her Doctoral degree studying canine translational models of human retinal disorders: from genes to therapy. She has a funded position from the Doctoral Program in Clinical Veterinary Medicine, in addition to which she has received travel grants and other competed funding for over 10k € worth.
MSc Vähämäki received her Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Science in 2016 from the Oxford Brooks University, UK, and Master's degree in Physiology and Genetics in 2019 from the University of Turku. She then started her Doctoral degree studying canine translational models of human inherited eye diseases, with particular focus on inherited retinal and corneal dystrophies. She has received competed funding for over 109k € worth.
MSc Lilja received her Bachelor degree in Biochemistry in 2022 from the University of Oulu, and Master's degree in Biotechnology in 2024 from the Tampere University. She then started her Doctoral degree studying translational zebrafish models of human inherited retinal dystrophy, with particular focus on CERKL gene. She has received competed funding for over 62k € worth, and is currently funded by the Sokeain Ystävät - De Blindas Vänner Foundation.
Ms Juusola is a second-year undergraduate student at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Helsinki. She joined the group in 2024 to complete her Bachelor's thesis on Genetic causes of progressive retinal atrophy in cats. She then continued in the group with her Licentiate's thesis entitled Canine models of achromatopsia: from novel genetic causes to new pathomechanisms and therapeutic approaches. Ms Juusola is financially supported by the Evald and Hilda Nissi Foundation.