معرفی
Dr. Merja Joensuu is a Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) at The University of Queensland. She leads the Joensuu Group which focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling neuronal endomembrane systems, with emphasis on preventing and treating genetic diseases and neuronal damage from neurotoxins or viral infections.
Her research interests center around lipid and protein determinants of cellular and neuronal membrane trafficking, particularly studying neuropathological mechanisms of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, neuroparalytic mechanisms, and viral infections. She employs advanced imaging techniques including live cell super-resolution imaging and high-resolution electron microscopy to investigate molecular mechanisms regulating cellular membrane dynamics in health and disease.
Dr. Joensuu's recent publications reveal a strong focus on synaptic vesicle dynamics, membrane nanoclustering, lipid metabolism in neuronal function, and viral infection mechanisms. Her work demonstrates how neurotoxins and viruses exploit cellular endocytic machinery to gain access into cells, with implications for developing novel therapeutic strategies for neurological conditions and viral infections.
Scientific Awards and Recognition:
- Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016)
- ARC DECRA Award (2019)
- UQ Amplify Fellow (2022)
Dr. Joensuu actively supervises PhD and Masters students, with current projects focusing on secretory pathway membrane trafficking, lipid metabolism, and mechanisms of RGD-Functionalized Nanomaterials in tumor cell biology. Her laboratory uses in vitro cell and primary neuron cultures as model systems, integrating imaging techniques with molecular approaches to address effects of pharmacological perturbations and genetic disease conditions on cellular functions.
The Joensuu Group maintains strong collaborative relationships with international researchers and has secured significant funding, including the current NHMRC European Union Collaborative Research Grant (2025-2029) for Super-resolution Imaging Study on Host-targeted Interventions Against Orthoflavivirus Neuroinvasion.
