Ikonen Elina

Elina Ikonen is a Full Professor of Cell and Tissue Biology at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and holds multiple leadership roles, including Chair of the Helsinki BioImaging Platform and European Coordinator of the Fondation Leducq Transatlantic Network of Excellence. She leads the Lipid Trafficking Research Group and has directed the Academy of Finland's Centre of Excellence in Biomembrane Research. Her research focuses on lipid metabolism, membrane contact sites, and lipid transport, with significant contributions to understanding lipid storage diseases. Ikonen has been recognized with prestigious awards such as the EBSA-Avanti Lipid Award (2021) and the Biomedicum Helsinki Medal (2019).

She has supervised 13 completed PhD theses (3 with distinction) and currently mentors 5 PhD students and 5 postdoctoral fellows. Ikonen serves on numerous national and international boards, including the Euro-BioImaging ERIC Board and the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation Medical Board. She is an EMBO Member and actively contributes to scientific governance through roles in grant reviewing and academic committees.

Her work has led to patent applications in lipid-related therapies and imaging technologies. Ikonen has organized major conferences, including the International Conference on the Biosciences of Lipids (2018), and is a frequent invited speaker at global events such as the Gordon Conferences and EMBO Meetings. Her research bridges basic lipid biology with clinical applications, emphasizing translational medicine.