Maija Risteli

I work half-time as a project manager/post-doctoral researcher in Professor Ali Mobasheri’s research group at the Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology and the other half as a post-doctoral researcher in Professor Tuula Salo’s research group at the Research Unit of Population Health. I did my Ph.D. degree in Professor Raili Myllylä’s research group at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oulu in 2008. I had a postdoctoral researcher position funded by the Academy of Finland from 2011-2013.

In my Ph.D. thesis, I revealed that lysyl hydroxylase 3 is a multifunctional enzyme possessing lysyl hydroxylase and glycosyltransferase activities and studied the substrate specificity of lysyl hydroxylase isoforms. In my Academy of Finland postdoctoral project, I studied the role of lysyl hydroxylase 3 in the biosynthesis of collagenous proteins, such as adiponectin and mannan-binding lectin.

Professor Tuula Salo’s research group is interested in resolving molecular mechanisms in the oral cancer tumor microenvironment for future diagnostics and therapeutics. We have also developed human tissue-based extracellular matrixes, like Myogel and Lymphogel, to be used in in vitro cancer drug testing. Professor Ali Mobasheri’s research is focused on the development of in vitro models for the study of cartilage and intervertebral disc in the context of extracellular matrix (ECM) degeneration and regeneration.