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.
- Näkökulmaa bioturvallisuuteen ja biologisen riskin arviointiin (2021)
- Solubiologi
(D1 Article in a professional journal) - SARS-CoV-2 Isolates Show Impaired Replication in Human Immune Cells but Differential Ability to Replicate and Induce Innate Immunity in Lung Epithelial Cells (2021)
- Microbiology spectrum
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Comparison of Zaire ebolavirus realtime RT-PCRs targeting the nucleoprotein gene (2020)
- Journal of Virological Methods
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Pandemic influenza A(H1N1 pdm09) vaccine induced high levels of influenza-specific IgG and IgM antibodies as analyzed by enzyme immunoassay and dual-mode multiplex microarray immunoassay methods (2020)
- Vaccine
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Arbovirusuhkat muuttuvassa ympäristössä (2019)
- Moodi
(D1 Article in a professional journal) - Asian and African lineage Zika viruses show differential replication and innate immune responses in human dendritic cells and macrophages (2019)
- Scientific Reports
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Interaction of Ebola Virus with the Innate Immune System (2019) Emerging Challenges in Filovirus Infections Felix B. He, Krister Melén, Laura Kakkola, Ilkka Julkunen
(A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book) - Serological Array-in-Well Multiplex Assay Reveals a High Rate of Respiratory Virus Infections and Reinfections in Young Children (2019)
- mSphere
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Zika Virus Non-Structural Protein NS5 Inhibits the RIG-I Pathway and Interferon Lambda 1 Promoter Activation by Targeting IKK Epsilon (2019)
- Viruses
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Novel activities of safe-in-human broad-spectrum antiviral agents (2018)
- Antiviral Research
(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



