Sanna Lehtonen, PhD, professor
I have carried out my PhD work at the University of Helsinki on genes regulating kidney development. Following this, I worked in Prof. Marilyn Farquhar’s laboratory at the University of California San Diego, USA, concentrating on the role of the podocyte protein nephrin and its macromolecular complex as a regulator of podocyte function. Since 2007, I have been working as a group leader at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki. My main interest is to understand how kidney function is regulated in various disorders.
Rim Bouslama, Pharm.D, doctoral researcher
I have earned my Pharmacy doctorate from Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Tunisia, on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. I have also worked on the immune property of bovine colostrum at the University of Otago, New Zealand, and the role of megakaryocytes in immunity at Harvard University, USA. My doctoral research focuses on podocyte biology and the mechanisms leading to kidney disease.
Norman Carcaño, MD, MSc, doctoral researcher
I have earned my Medical Doctor degree in the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, followed by Master´s degree in biomedical research from the University of Navarra, Spain. In Navarra, I worked in Prof. Frühbeck´s laboratory defining the role of immunological response in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes. Currently, my work focuses on the development of new treatments for type 2 diabetes and diabetic kidney disease. In particular, my work concentrates on proteins and factors affecting insulin sensitivity and energy homeostasis in muscle and proximal tubule cells.
Laura Hautala, MSc, researcher
I have earned my Master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Helsinki, after which I have been working in cancer research. At the moment, my work focuses on finding novel drug leads to treat type 2 diabetes from a library of small molecule compounds. The aim is to improve insulin sensitivity and prevent the development of diabetic kidney disease. I am also interested in the cellular mechanisms leading to type 2 diabetes and diabetic kidney disease in the muscle and proximal tubule cells.
Jette-Britt Naams, MSc (Tech), doctoral researcher
I have graduated as a Master of Science in Technology from Tampere University of Technology, majoring in Tissue Engineering. My PhD work focuses on novel compounds that could potentially act as blood glucose lowering and renoprotective drug lead candidates. I am interested in the molecular mechanisms by which these compounds affect the glucose metabolism and apoptotic pathways in the muscle and kidney cells, and whether these compounds can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce signs of diabetic kidney disease in vivo.
Leena Saikko, BHc, biochemical laboratory scientist
Constanze Schmotz, PhD, postdoctoral researcher
I have graduated from Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg (Halle/Saale, Germany) in biochemistry and have earned my PhD degree at the University of Helsinki in the field of cell biology, focusing on virology, cell signaling, and protein networks. Currently, I study mechanisms involved in the development of type 2 diabetes and diabetic kidney disease. My work focuses on podocyte biology and mechanisms leading to podocyte injury, with a special interest in mechanobiology. In an interdisciplinary collaboration with the Norwegian startup company Vitroscope AS, I explore the effects of fluid flow shear stress on podocytes in vitro. I also study the role of lipid phosphatase SHIP2 in the development of type 2 diabetes and diabetic kidney disease and define the role of SHIP2 in cognitive comorbidities of type 2 diabetes.
Eija Heikkilä, MSc, PhD student, thesis defence 2010
Mervi Ristola, MSc, PhD student, thesis defence 2012
Mervi Hyvönen, MD, PhD student, thesis defence 2013
Anita Wasik, MSc, PhD student, thesis defence 2014
Pauliina Saurus, MSc, PhD student, thesis defence 2016
Tuomas Tolvanen, MSc, PhD student, thesis defence 2018
Vincent Dumont, MSc, PhD student, thesis defence 2020
Sara Kuusela, MSc, PhD student, thesis defence 2021
Sonja Lindfors, MSc, PhD student, thesis defence 2023
Neeta Datta, PhD, postdoctoral researcher until 2014
Surjya Dash, PhD, postdoctoral researcher until 2015
Hong Wang, PhD, postdoctoral researcher until 2018
Anita Wasik, postdoctoral researcher until 2019
Zydrune Polianskyte-Prause, postdoctoral researcher until 2021
Lehtonen Lab 2023
Lehtonen lab 2020
Lehtonen lab 2019
Lehtonen lab 2018
Lehtonen lab 2017
Lehtonen lab 2016
Lehtonen lab 2010
Lehtonen lab 2009