Personnel

Group leader

Sarah Butcher (Ph.D.)

Present Members

  • Maria Anastasiina, Visiting Researcher (Ph.D.)
  • Kyrylo Bisikalo, PhD. researcher (M.Sc.)
  • Cienna Buckner, MSc student
  • Ausra Domanska, Visiting Researcher (Ph.D)
  • Sergei Gurianov, postdoctoral fellow (Ph.D.)
  • Behnam Lak, Laboratory engineer (Ph.D)
  • Cris Mitchell, MSc student
  • Markus Mustonen, MSc student
  • Hanna Oksanen, University Researcher,  Instruct coordinator (Ph.D.)
  • Zlatka Plavec, PhD. student (M.Sc.)

Summer students

  • Alessandro Bonetti 6.02-9.02
  • Violeta Manole 7.02-9.02 & 6.04-9.04
  • Frederike Stamer 6.04-8.04
  • Ilpo Weijola 4.6.-3.9.07
  • Melanie Bloschies 20.6-18.10.09
  • Carl-Mikael Suomivuori 6.10-8.10
  • Hanna Hyvönen 8.10
  • Katrina Goldman 7-8.11
  • Felix Böndgen 6.7.-5.10.12
  • Lucas Boucknooghe Galdeano 1.5-30.6.16
  • Lauri Pulkkinen 1.6-31.8.16
  • Zlatka Plavec 6-8.2019

Erasmus students

  • Annunciato Pennino 3.09-10.09
  • Salvatore Di Girolamo 3.10-9.10
  • Aleksandra Stasiak 8.16-5.17
  • Martina Hauke 9.16-11.16
  • Anne Ries 1.17-8.17
  • Philip Magherman 11.19-2.20
  • Naiara Hurtado, 20-2.21
  • Flore Brion, 9-10.2021

Visitors

  • Harm Ansink 5.2-21.6.07
  • Maria Luisa Romero Romero 7.5-28.7.07
  • Peter Redder 12.2008
  • Jakub Psencik 10.2009
  • Robert Sinkovits 2.2010
  • Roman Tuma 4.2010
  • Juha Huiskonen 4.2010, 11.2010
  • Helen Saibil 11-12.2010
  • Jens-Ola Ekström 19.9-2.10.2011 (BF cryo)
  • Brenda Westerhuis (European Clinical Virology fellowship) 28.9-23.12.2011 (BF cryo)
  • Salla Ruskamo 14.11-18.11.2011 (BF cryo)
  • Juha Vahokoski 20.12.2011 (BF cryo)
  • Kristin Parent 16-23.3.2012 (BF cryo)
  • Timothy Baker 6-10.6.2012
  • Elena Orlova 26.9-29.9.2012
  • Jens-Ola Ekström 22-23.10.2012 (BF cryo)
  • Juha Huiskonen 1-2.11-2012
  • Lotta Happonen 4-10.11.2012
  • Petri Susi 6.11.2012
  • Brenda Westerhuis (EMBO short term fellow) 22.11-15.12.2012 (BF cryo)
  • Vinzenz Unger 18-21.6.2013 (BF cryo)
  • Kay Gruenewald 10-12.10.2013
  • Jason Mercer 6-1.1.2014 (BF cryo)
  • Toomas Neuman, visiting senior scientist from Protobios (Ph.D.) 1-3.2015
  • Stephan Ludwig 15-17.4.2015
  • Lotta Happonen 20-24.4.2015 Postdoc from Lund University
  • Kaia Palm, visiting CEO from Protobios (Ph.D.) 3-5.2015
  • Arno Pihlak, visiting scientist from Protobios (Ph.D.) 3-5.2015
  • Susan Pihelgas, visiting technician from Protobios (M.Sc) 4-6.2015
  • Urmas Liivas, visiting technician from Protobios (M.Sc) 3-4.2017
  • Carlotta Glackin, visiting professor from City of Hope, CA, USA 6-9.2017 (Instruct-FI cryo; supported by the American- Scandinavian Foundation)
  • Vanessa Matzerath, trainee technician, Hilden 7-10.2019
  • Aleksandra Stasiak, Vibrant ITN PhD student, Tuebingen University, Germany 2-6.2020
  • Andreia Fernandes, (M.Sc.) Instruct ERIC internee 9-11.2020
  • Francisco Figueiredo, (M.Sc.) EMBO Fellow Instruct-ERIC visitor 9-11.2021
  • Sara Silva, Impact workshop 10-11.2021
  • Jose Rodriguez, Impact workshop 10-11.2021
  • Arjen Jakobi (Prof), Technical University of Delft, Monday seminar speaker 12-14.12.2021
  • David Stuart (Prof), University of Oxford, FINstruct seminar speaker /opponent 7-9.7.2022
  • Catarina Paiva (M.Sc.), ITQB, Instruct-ERIC internee 15.8-31.11.2022
  • Claudia Alén Amaro  (Ph.D) Instruct-ERIC manager 3-7.4.2022
  • Ana Luisa Gomes, ITQB,  IMPaCT coordinator 3-7.4.2022
  • Margarida Trindade, ITQB administrator 3-7.4.2022
  • Kyrylo Bisikalo ASC Erasmus MSc student 28-29.7.2022 interview
  • Marlene Brueckner, University of Luebeck, Germany 7.8-8.8.22 interview
  • Xiaoyu Sun University of Helsinki 8.8.2022 Instruct-ERIC visitor
  • Carlos Oscar S Sorzano (Ph.D.) CSIC-CNS, Impact and FINStruct visitor 21.8-25.8.2022
  • Sailee Shroff (M.Sc.), University of Jyväskylä, Instruct-ERIC visitor 20-23.9.2022
  • Susan Hafenstein (Prof), Penn State University, FINStruct seminar speaker/opponent 16-19.11.2022
  • Alexander Borodavka HiLIFE seminar and FINStruct annual conference invited speaker 27.11-1.12.2022
  • Celia Romano, ITQB administration 14.2-17.2.23
  • Minne Jartti, Tampere University, 7.3.2023 FINStruct visitor
  • Ilona Rissanen, Instruct visitor
  • Nicolas Abrescia, FINStruct seminar  3.8.23
  • Erwan Sallard, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Isidore TNA and invited seminar speaker 18-23.2.24

Alumni

  • Juha Huiskonen, PhD student 2001-2005 & postdoctoral fellow 2006, ERC consolidator, University of Oxford, UK, currently, Director HiLIFE Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki.
  • Harri Jäälinoja, PhD student 10.2002-4.2007, Postdoctoral fellow 7.1-31.5.2008, currently Institute of Biotechnology, Light Microscopy Unit, University of Helsinki
  • Heini Hyvönen, MSc. student 2007, currently Medical Physicist, Kymenlaakso Central Hospital
  • Antti Salminen, research assistant 8.2008-9.2009, EM Unit, University of Helsinki 2009-2017. Retired.
  • Jani Seitsonen, PhD student 2006-2011, scientist Aalto University, Finland 2011-2013, scientist Skirball Insitute, New York, USA 2013-2014, postdoctoral fellow University of Helsinki 2015-2016, currently Head of cryoEM facility, Aalto University
  • Katarina Hattula, research assistant 2007, postdoctoral fellow 2008-2011, currently teacher in Espoo.
  • Lotta Happonen, PhD student 2008-2012, currently PI, Division of Infection Medicine, Lund University, Sweden
  • Kirsty Williamson, Research technician 2011-2012, currently engineer, FinnDent, Finland
  • Eevakaisa Vesanen, Research technician 2010-2013, currently research technician, DNA Sequencing and Genomics Laboratory, University of Helsinki
  • Riia Järvi, MSc student 9.2013-3.2014, University of Helsinki
  • Violeta Manole, PhD student 2006-2012, research technician 2013, currently research technician University of Helsinki
  • Pezhman Mohammadi, MSc. thesis student, PhD student, Aalto University, Finland, currently postdoctoral fellow, VTT, Finland.
  • Lassi Liljeroos, PhD student 2009-2013, Postdoctoral fellow 2014, Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow, GSK, Sienna, Italy 2014-2016; Currently Country Medical Manager at Roche, Finland
  • Noha Abdel-Rahman, Postdoctoral fellow (Ph.D.);  postdoctoral fellow, Norway, currently lecturer, Egypt
  • Ari Ora, Postdoctoral fellow (Ph.D.), postdoctoral fellow, Aalto University, currently lab manager, Helsinki University
  • Owen Foley, Assistant 12.2014, currently European Chemical Agency, Finland
  • Maria Anastasina, PhD student 2010-2015 (main supervisor Denis Kainov), Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellow in Protobios, Estonia 5.2015-4.2017, currently research scientist, University of Helsinki
  • Veli-Pekka Kestilä, systems manager. Runs own IT company, Finland
  • Shabih Shakeel PhD student 1.11-5.2014, postdoctoral fellow 6.2014-3.2017, currently group leader, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne; Australia
  • Marina Verkhovskaya, visiting scientist 2016-2018
  • Ville Hietala, MSc student 2018, Currently Masters’ Student in Economics at Aalto University
  • Giuseppe Balistreri, senior scientist 2016-2018, currently Academy of Finland Fellow (Sep 2018-present), Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki
  • James Geraets, postdoctoral fellow 2015-2018, postdoctoral fellow, Julich, Germany, currently cryoEM specialist, King’s College, London
  • James Evans, Ph.D. student 2014-2018, currently Laboratory Master, Biofilia & Laboratory Technician, BioGarage @ Design Factory/Synbio Powerhouse, Aalto University

  • Salla Merenheimo, MSc student 2018-2019, currently project manager, Avoin.Systems Oy, Helsinki

  • Hussein Alburkat, MSc student 2018-2019, currently PhD student, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki

  • Zlatka Plavec M.Sc. student 2018-2019, currently PhD student, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki
  • Alma Seppälä B.Sc. student 2019,  MMB rotation student, M.Sc. student 2020-2021. Currently Resistomap.
  • Vinaya Venkat M.Sc. MMB rotation student, currently PhD student, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki
  • Justin Flatt, Ph.D. Postdoctoral fellow 2017-2020, currently RCSB Rutgers. Protein Data Bank, USA
  • Benita Löflund, B.Eng. EM engineer 2003-2022, currently project engineer, Valokuitinen Oy
  • Johanna Göransson, MSc student 2021-2022, currently teacher at
  • Sarah Barrass, Ph.D. student 9.18-7.22, currently postdoctoral fellow, EPFL, Switzerland
  • Lauri Pulkkinen, Ph.D. student 1.18-12.22, currently postdoctoral fellow, MIMS, Sweden
  • Isabella Hietavirta, part time technician 11.22-1.23, currently BSc student, University of Helsinki
  • Lotta Riihimäki, MSc student 11.21-12.22, currently hospital microbiologist training in FIMLAB Tampere
  • Valtteri Leppilampi, MSc student 4.22-10.22, currently hospital microbiologist, Kuopio University Hospital
  • Marlene Brueckner, Molecular Life Science BSc student internee from University of Luebeck, Germany. 11.22-2.23
  • Pinja Pikkarainen, MSc. student 9.22-3.23. Currently special education teacher, City of Helsinki
  • Salla Pankka, MSc. student, 9.22-3.23 Currently Haleon Finland Oy.
  • Pasi Laurinmäki, PhD student and Laboratory engineer 6.2000-6-2023. Currently self-employed entrepreneur
  • Maria Anastasina, research scientist -7.23, Currently Okinawa Institute of
    Science and Technology, Okinawa. Japan
  • Ausra Domanska, research scientist -8.23. Currently scientist, Herantis-Pharma