Laura Kakkola
Adjunct Professor, Bioturvapäällikkö/Biosafety Officer
laura.kakkola@utu.fi +358 29 450 4555 +358 46 921 4211 Kiinamyllynkatu 10 Turku ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9271-4059 |
virology; immunology; infection; zoonoses; biosafety
I am a researcher with the cell biologist's background interested in intra-cellular events on infection, immunological responses (innate and adaptive), effect of host genetics in infectious diseases, and viruses' counteractions on these - including emerging pathogens, virus surveillance and diagnostics. I act as a Biosafety Officer at the Institute of Biomedicine and my responsibilities are to coordinate, supervise and educate laboratory work with infectious pathogens (viruses and bacteria). I am a Laboratory Manager in the Research Center Infections and Immunity, I teach on university courses, supervise MSc and PhD students, and conduct independent research.
My research interests are on virus-host interactions, how viruses interfere with immune responses, and could these events be utilized in vaccine, antiviral drug or diagnostic test development. At the moment I am working with coronaviruses, influenza viruses, filoviruses and flaviviruses.
I have taken the course on Medical pedagogics. I am co-supervising MSc and PhD students, and am a member of thesis committees for PhD students. I have given lectures and taught on laboratory courses at the university level.
- Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus in Finland in 2021–2023 – Genetic diversity of the viruses and infection kinetics in human dendritic cells (2025)
- Emerging microbes & infections
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - High Glucose Increases Lactate and Induces the Transforming Growth Factor Beta-Smad 1/5 Atherogenic Pathway in Primary Human Macrophages (2024)
- Biomedicines
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Long-term COVID-19 vaccine- and Omicron infection-induced humoral and cell-mediated immunity (2024)
- Frontiers in Immunology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Mikrobien aiheuttamat epidemiat ja pandemiat - mikrobiologian laboratorioiden varautuminen (2024)
- Infektioidentorjunta
(D1 Article in a professional journal) - Neutralizing antibodies after the third COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare workers with or without breakthrough infection (2024)
- Communications medicine
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - The comprehensive SARS-CoV-2 ‘hijackome’ knowledge base (2024)
- Cell Discovery
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Virus-specific Dicer-substrate siRNA swarms inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in TMPRSS2-expressing Vero E6 cells (2024)
- Frontiers in Microbiology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Coronavirus spike protein-specific antibodies indicate frequent infections and reinfections in infancy and among BNT162b2-vaccinated healthcare workers (2023)
- Scientific Reports
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Emerging Microbes, Infections, and Spillovers: Charting a Path Forward (2023)
- Viruses
(B1 Non-refereed article in a scientific journal) - Image-based and machine learning-guided multiplexed serology test for SARS-CoV-2 (2023)
- Cell reports : methods
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Insights into COVID-19: Perspectives on Drug Remedies and Host Cell Responses (2023)
- Biomolecules
(A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal ) - Persistent T cell-mediated immune responses against Omicron variants after the third COVID-19 mRNA vaccine dose (2023)
- Frontiers in Immunology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - VP24 matrix proteins of eight filoviruses downregulate innate immune response by inhibiting the interferon-induced pathway (2023)
- Journal of General Virology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Comparative analysis of COVID-19 vaccine responses and third booster dose-induced neutralizing antibodies against Delta and Omicron variants (2022)
- Nature Communications
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Filovirus VP24 Proteins Differentially Regulate RIG-I and MDA5-Dependent Type I and III Interferon Promoter Activation (2022)
- Frontiers in Immunology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Long-Lasting T Cell Responses in BNT162b2 COVID-19 mRNA Vaccinees and COVID-19 Convalescent Patients (2022)
- Frontiers in Immunology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Low pre-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Finnish health care workers: a prospective cohort study (2022)
- Infectious Diseases
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Rapid high-throughput compatible label-free virus particle quantification method based on time-resolved luminescence (2022)
- Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Serological Follow-Up Study Indicates High Seasonal Coronavirus Infection and Reinfection Rates in Early Childhood (2022)
- Microbiology spectrum
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Vaccine-Induced Antibody Responses against SARS-CoV-2 Variants-Of-Concern Six Months after the BNT162b2 COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination (2022)
- Microbiology spectrum
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)