Tiina Salminen is a Professor of Biochemistry at Åbo Akademi University, affiliated with the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering and the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology. She leads the Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory (SBL) and is actively involved in the InFLAMES flagship (Innovation Ecosystem based on the Immune System) focusing on solutions for health. Her research interests span structural bioinformatics, protein structure analysis, molecular modeling, membrane proteins, Notch signaling pathway, infection mechanisms, inflammation research, and cancer biology. Dr. Salminen's work intertwines crystallography with computational modeling approaches to understand protein function, particularly focusing on how proteins interact with other molecules and the structural basis for their ligand selectivity. Her research targets drug targets, off-targets, biomarkers of disease stages, biocatalysts, and targets for disease diagnostics. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on applying structural biology to medical challenges, particularly in cancer imaging, autoimmune diseases, and protein structure prediction using machine learning. Her work bridges computational approaches with experimental validation across diverse biological systems from human disease mechanisms to microalgal biotechnology. Dr. Salminen has received research funding through multiple active projects including Innovative and selective treatment methods for Lyme disease, Nordic Pharmaceutical Translation and Innovation, Biocenter Finland, TuProtCore: Turku Protein Core, and Integrated Structural Biology Infrastructure. Innovative and selective treatment methods for Lyme disease (2024-2025) Nordic Pharmaceutical Translation and Innovation (2024-2028) Biocenter Finland (2024-2028) TuProtCore: Turku Protein Core (2023-2025) Integrated Structural Biology Infrastructure (2022-2026) She has hosted multiple academic visitors including Pardis Mokhtary, Travasso Rui, Authen Promariya, Wuttinun Raksajit, and Suchanit Ngamkala, indicating active international collaboration and mentorship. Her research laboratory, the Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory (SBL), serves as the primary research environment where her team conducts studies on 3D protein structures and their functional implications across various biological contexts.





