Laura Kakkola
Adjunct Professor, Bioturvapäällikkö/Biosafety Officer
laura.kakkola@utu.fi 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.
- 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)
- Immunologinen leimautuminen01.01.2026 - 31.12.2026
- Institute of Biomedicine
- TYS_Zikaviruksen tutkimus01.01.2026 - 31.12.2026
- Institute of Biomedicine
- CrossBar_Kakkola01.09.2021 - 31.08.2025
- Institute of Biomedicine



