معرفی
Taina Pihlajaniemi is a Professor of Medical Biochemistry and Vice Rector (Research) at the University of Oulu, Finland. She leads research in extracellular matrix (ECM) biology, focusing on collagen proteins and their roles in tissue homeostasis, development, and diseases such as fibrosis and cancer. Her work includes discovering collagen types XV, XVIII, and XIII, and investigating their structural and regulatory functions using mouse models and human patient studies.
Education:
- Doctor of Medical Sciences (PhD equivalent), 1987
- Docent in Medical Biochemistry, 1987
- Licentiate of Medicine (medical license), 1981
Research Interests:
Collagen biology, ECM interactions, fibrosis, stem cell niches, cancer progression, neuromuscular junction integrity, and gene-modified mouse models.
Awards and Recognition:
- 2021 E. J. Nyström Award
- Matti Äyräpää Prize (2013)
- Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland (2015)
- Member of the Finnish Academy of Sciences and Letters (since 1995)
Leadership and Mentorship:
- Supervised 47 PhD/MD-PhD students and 28 postdocs
- Directed major research centers including the Academy of Finland Center of Excellence in Cell-ECM Research and Biocenter Finland
Labs/Teams:
- Principal Investigator at the University of Oulu's ECM and Hypoxia research group
- Collaborates with international institutions on ECM-related studies
