Areas of expertise
B cells
Antigen receptor signaling
Cell biology
Actin cytoskeleton
Plasma membrane
Advanced microscopy
Biography
Education:
MSc in Biochemistry 2002 (University of Oulu, Finland)
PhD in Genetics 2008 (University of Helsinki)
Postdoc: Cancer Research UK, London Research Institute 2008-2012
Adjunct Professor: 2014
Principal Investigator positions:
Group leader in the InFLAMES research flagship 2022-> (University of Turku)
Academy of Finland Research Fellow 2016-2022 (University of Turku)
Teaching
I am lecturing on various Master’s and PhD level courses on topics including the adaptive immune system, cell signaling, cytoskeleton, and microscopy. I have been involved in designing new courses targeted for PhD students and postdocs. I have done University Pedagogics 1 course to develop my pedagogic skills. At every day level, I am supervising
doctoral students, postdocs, as well as guide Master’s thesis projects.
Research
B lymphocytes are key cells in mounting the adaptive immune response by differentiating into antibody secreting plasma cells. Our group is interested in the molecular mechanisms of B lymphocyte activation, with emphasis on receptor activation and its immediate cell biological responses, culminating at the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, plasma membrane and intracellular vesicle traffic. In our research, we take advantage of both in vivo models and various advanced imaging techniques, including super-resolution microscopy, as well as modern proteomic approaches such as APEX2 proximity biotinylation.
More information about our projects, including our publications, can be found at: http://mattilalab.utu.fi.