Elena Vikström

Elena Vikström is an Associate Professor of Medical Microbiology at Linköping University, Sweden. She is affiliated with the Division of Inflammation and Infection (II) within the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV). Her research focuses on quorum sensing (QS) mechanisms in bacteria and their interactions with host cells, particularly in the context of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.

Education and Experience:

• PhD in Microbiology and Immunology (2002–2004), Linköping University, Sweden
• Post-doctoral experience at Linköping University (2012)
• Doctoral thesis: “Virulence and immunosuppressive activity in Shigella sonnei: role of lipopolysaccharide” (2000), Institute of Infectious Diseases, Kiev, Ukraine
• Master of Science in Immunology, Microbiology, and Teaching Biology (1996), Kiev University, Ukraine

Research Interests: Vikström’s work explores how bacteria use QS molecules (e.g., AHL, PQS) to communicate with each other and host cells, influencing biofilm formation, virulence, and inflammation. Her studies aim to uncover new avenues for preventing infections and managing inflammatory diseases through molecular and clinical approaches.

Research Trends in Articles: Her publications highlight QS’s role in bacterial pathogenesis, antibiotic resistance mechanisms, and host-cell interactions. Recent work includes modifying QS molecules to disrupt bacterial communication and investigating mitochondrial effects of QS signals in host cells.

Labs/Teams: She leads research within the Division of Inflammation and Infection, collaborating on projects related to QS, bacterial-host crosstalk, and translational medicine.