Riitta Lahesmaa profile picture
Riitta
Lahesmaa
InFLAMES Flagship
Director, Turku Bioscience Centre
Professor, Turku Bioscience Centre
MD, PhD, Professor
InFLAMES Flagship, Immunology

Contact

+358 29 450 2415
+358 40 718 4813
Tykistökatu 6
20520
Turku

Links

ORCID

Areas of expertise

Immunology
Immune regulation
Type 1 diabetes
inflammation
autoimmune diseases
biomarkers

Biography


I have been the Director of Turku Bioscience Centre, Turku, Finland (https://bioscience.fi/) since 1998. I am also Professor of Systems Immunology at Medical Faculty of University of Turku, institute of Biomedicine.

I got M.D. and Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Turku. I was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University Medical Center and a Principal Scientist at Roche Bioscience in Palo Alto, California. I have been a visiting professor at Harvard Medical School, Stanford University and UCSF. I founded and directed Turku Centre for Systems Biology 2000-2015 and was vice-director of The Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence in Systems Immunology and Physiology. I was the Academy Professor of the Academy of Finland in 2016-2020.

I am a member of the board of Scandinavian Society of Immunology. I have published > 250 original papers and reviews and have several issued patents and patent applications. I am an elected member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters since 2012.

Web-site: https://bioscience.fi/research/molecular-systems-immunology/profile



Teaching

My main contribution to teaching is to train PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. Over the years I have supervised 35 postdoctoral researchers of whom 29 completed, six in progress and 34 PhD students of whom 28 completed, six in progress.

Research


My research in molecular systems immunology  aims at understanding molecular mechanisms of regulation of human immune response and pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes and other human immune mediated diseases. T cells orchestrate our immune system and a proper balance of T cells is crucial for immune defense in healthy individuals. In autoimmune diseases, out-of-control T cells drive pathologic inflammatory responses with devastating consequences for patients. Our studies have resulted in the identification of novel molecular mechanisms and new regulators of T cell functions. Our projects in progress aim at understanding the molecular basis of immune regulation to enable its modulation. Moreover, we aim at understanding the early immune response in children who develop Type 1 Diabetes to identify new biomarkers to improve predicting, monitoring, and early diagnosis of beginning of the disease process. This is of fundamental importance to be able to select the right patients for potential interventions as soon as the disease process kicks in.

Web-site: https://bioscience.fi/research/molecular-systems-immunology/profile/


Publications

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Tet1 and Tet2 regulate 5-hydroxymethylcytosine production and cell lineage specification in mouse embryonic stem cells. Cell Stem Cell. 2011 Feb 4;8(2):200-13. (2011)

Cell Stem Cell
Koh Kian Peng, Yabuuchi Akiko, Rao Sridhar, Huang Yun, Cunniff Kerrianne, Nardone Julie, Laiho Asta, Tahiliani Mamta, Sommer Cesar A, Mostovslasky Gustavo, Lahesmaa Riitta, Orkin Stuart H, Rodig Scott J, Daley George Q, Rao Anjana
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Copy number variation and selection during reprogramming to pluripotency (2011)

Nature
Hussein Samer M, Batada Nizar N, Vuoristo Sanna, Ching Reagan W, Autio Reija, Närvä Elisa, Ng Siemon, Sourour Michel, Hämäläinen Riikka, Olsson Cia, Lundin Karolina, Mikkola Milla, Trokovic Ras, Peitz Michael, Brüstle Oliver, Bazett-Jones David P, Alitalo Kari, Lahesmaa Riitta, Nagy Andras, Otonkoski Timo
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

High-resolution DNA analysis of human embryonic stem cell lines reveals culture-induced copy number changes and loss of heterozygosity (2010)

Nature Biotechnology
Narva E, Autio R, Rahkonen N, Kong LJ, Harrison N, Kitsberg D, Borghese L, Itskovitz-Eldor J, Rasool O, Dvorak P, Hovatta O, Otonkoski T, Tuuri T, Cui W, Brustle O, Baker D, Maltby E, Moore HD, Benvenisty N, Andrews PW, Yli-Harja O, Lahesmaa R
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))
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