DC1
Project: identify new therapeutic strategies to mitigate inflammation and disease progression in cardiometabolic diseases
PhD position at University of Eastern Finland
The PhD student (DC1) will be enrolled in the Doctoral Program of Molecular Medicine at the University of Eastern Finland.
This PhD student will study inflammatory cells, gene expression profiles and their role in the pathogenesis and new treatment options for atherosclerosis and ischemic diseases. Special emphasis will be put on the development of targeted gene therapy-based approaches for the treatment of vascular diseases. Both in vitro cell culture models and in vivo mouse and pig models will be used for the studies. Additionally, DC will be involved in gene expression profiling and spatial transcriptomic analyses of mouse and human atherosclerotic lesions.
COLLABORATORS AND SECONDMENTS IN THIS PHD PROJECT
- Secondment host 1: As part of this project, the PhD student will visit AMC for analysis and integration of multimodal and single-cell gene expression data regarding atherogenesis and potential new treatment options.
- Secondment host 2: Another part of this PhD project consists of a secondment period of three months at BMX for the analysis of inflammatory pathways contributing to the fibrosis in a heart-on-chip model.
ABOUT A.I.Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland
The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is the most multidisciplinary university in Finland. Our university employs approximately 3,200 experts, and our community includes approximately 16,000 degree students and 16,000 adult education students. We represent the world’s cutting edge in research on atherogenesis, angiogenesis, genetics, animal models, and gene therapy, and produce research-based knowledge for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Learn more about our university at www.uef.fi/en. The available position is located in Kuopio, a city which embodies the ideal mix of urban and natural environments. Home to roughly 123,000 inhabitants, it's a city where safety, functionality, and the beauty of nature contribute to a high-quality living standard, perfectly balancing work, study, and leisure.
ABOUT THE SUPERVISORS
DC1 is supervised by Dr Anna-Kaisa Ruotsalainen and Prof. Seppo Yla-Herttuala.
Dr. Anna-Kaisa Ruotsalainen
Dr. Anna-Kaisa Ruotsalainen has a background in biomedicine and a multidisciplinary expertise in cardiovascular and metabolic research. She has extensive experience with a wide range of in vivo models for these fields. During her postdoctoral studies, she gained experience in gene therapy field at pharmaceutical company FinVector and the A.I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland. After that, she was awarded a Research Council of Finland postdoctoral fellowship to investigate the mechanisms of the 9p21.3 risk locus and lncRNA biology in inflammatory cells in atherosclerosis. Currently, her research group at A.I. Virtanen Institute focuses on how cells adapt their metabolism under stress and how these changes influence tissue repair and regeneration in cardiometabolic diseases. Their goal is to uncover the underlying mechanisms that drive the development of therapies to resolve inflammation and fibrosis, enhance tissue regeneration, and ultimately improve treatment options for cardiovascular and chronic liver diseases. Dr. Ruotsalainen is a Principal Investigator in the Research Council of Finland’s GeneCellNano Flagship program and the Horizon Europe GEREMY consortium, both of which aim to develop advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) for the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases.
Prof. Dr. Seppo Yla-Herttuala