Riikka Lund

Riikka Lund is an Adjunct Professor in Molecular Biology and a Research Director (10%) at the Turku Bioscience Centre, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku. She also works as a Senior Scientist in Bioinformatics at Orion. She leads the Biomedical Epigenomics research group and has held leadership roles in national research platforms.

Education:

• M.Sc. in Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Turku (2001)
• Ph.D. in Molecular Immunology and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku (2004)
• Postdoctoral training, Centre for Stem Cell Biology, University of Sheffield (2007–2008)

Her research focuses on epigenomics and genomics, particularly using next-generation sequencing to study molecular mechanisms in development, aging, and diseases such as type 1 diabetes and cancer. She integrates bioinformatics and functional genomics to uncover disease markers and therapeutic targets. Her work emphasizes epigenetic regulation, pluripotent stem cells, and genome-wide methods.

The recent publications (2020–2023) reflect a strong focus on DNA methylation dynamics in developmental and disease contexts, including maternal health, autoimmunity, and cancer. The studies employ advanced bisulfite sequencing, single-cell analysis, and computational modeling, highlighting her expertise in bioinformatics and epigenetic data analysis.

Scientific Awards:

• Millennium Distinct Technology Award (2013) for contributions to stem cell research

She has been actively involved in research leadership, including as Head of the Finnish Functional Genomics Centre (2013–2022), co-PI of the Biocenter Finland Genome-wide Methods Platform, and co-director of the CompLifeSci Research Programme. She has also served on the editorial board of Scientific Reports. Although no students are listed, she has engaged in teaching in epigenomics, genomics, and stem cell biology. Her research is supported through national and international collaborations and infrastructure platforms.

She leads the Biomedical Epigenomics Group and has conducted short research visits to institutions including the Broad Institute (USA), Diagenode (Belgium), and the University of Southern Denmark, reflecting her international engagement in cutting-edge genomics technologies.