معرفی
Aila Inkeri Seagull Lokki is an Adjunct Associate Professor (Docent) at the University of Helsinki Faculty of Medicine, Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, and an active researcher within Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) units including Chemistry & Microbiology and Gynecology & Obstetrics.
Education:
- PhD in Biomedicine (2017), Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki. Thesis: The Conundrum of Pre-eclampsia – From Candidate Genes to Complement System
- MSc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (2011), University of Helsinki
- BSc in Ecology with a year in Australasia (2005), University of Helsinki
Research Interests:
Lokki’s work sits at the intersection of obstetric medicine and immunogenetics. She investigates how genetic variation—particularly in the complement system—affects susceptibility to pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and thrombotic microangiopathy. By integrating large Finnish population cohorts (FINRISK, FINNPEC) with cutting-edge genomic and metabolomic techniques, her group deciphers rare variant effects on complement regulation and translates these findings into biomarker discovery and clinical risk prediction.
Recent Publications:
Her 2024–2025 output spans rheumatoid arthritis ceramide risk profiling, pregnancy-related microangiopathies, corneal degeneration genetics, and deep sequencing of complement genes in pre-eclampsia. Collectively, these studies illuminate how immune-genetic architecture influences systemic and pregnancy-specific diseases.
Grants & Projects:
- Paavo Nurmi Foundation 2025 grant (€12 000) – Principal Investigator
- Sigrid Jusélius Foundation 2022–2025 – Co-investigator
- University of Helsinki three-year project on HLA genetics in HELLP syndrome – Co-investigator
- Personal project on immunogenetics of atherosclerosis – Principal Investigator
Supervision & Outreach:
Lokki currently supervises PhD student Mari Humalajoki and has mentored multiple master’s theses. She has delivered >7 invited presentations in 2024 alone, served as an opponent for doctoral defenses, and attracted national media coverage for discoveries of protective gene variants against pre-eclampsia in Finnish mothers.
