Laura Kakkola
Adjunct Professor, Bioturvapäällikkö/Biosafety Officer
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 & infectionsMicrobiology spectrum
Altan, Eda; Avelin, Veera; Aaltonen, Kirsi; Korhonen, Essi; Laine, Larissa; Lindh, Erika; Julkunen, Ilkka; Tammiranta, Niina; Nokireki, Tiina; Gadd, Tuija; Kakkola, Laura; Sironen, Tarja; Österlund, Pamela
- High Glucose Increases Lactate and Induces the Transforming Growth Factor Beta-Smad 1/5 Atherogenic Pathway in Primary Human Macrophages (2024)
- BiomedicinesInfektioidentorjunta
Awad, Kareem; Kakkola, Laura; Julkunen, Ilkka
- Long-term COVID-19 vaccine- and Omicron infection-induced humoral and cell-mediated immunityNeutralizing antibodies after the third COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare workers with or without breakthrough infection (2024) Belik, Milja; Reinholm, Arttu; Kolehmainen, Pekka; Heroum, Jemna; Maljanen, Sari; Altan, Eda; Österlund, Pamela; Laine, Larissa; Ritvos, Olli; Pasternack, Arja; Naves, Rauno A.; Iakubovskaia, Alina; Barkoff, Alex-Mikael; He, Qiushui; Lempainen, Johanna; Tähtinen, Paula A.; Ivaska, Lauri; Jalkanen, Pinja; Julkunen, Ilkka; Kakkola, Laura
- Mikrobien aiheuttamat epidemiat ja pandemiat - mikrobiologian laboratorioiden varautuminenThe comprehensive SARS-CoV-2 ‘hijackome’ knowledge base (2024) Kakkola, Laura; Laine, Miia; Julkunen, Ilkka; Rantakokko-Jalava, Kaisu
- 2024 Reinholm Arttu, Maljanen Sari, Jalkanen Pinja, Altan Eda, Tauriainen Sisko, Belik Milja, Skön Marika, Haveri Anu, Österlund Pamela, Iakubovskaia Alina, Pasternack Arja, Naves Rauno A., Ritvos Olli, Miettinen Simo, Häkkinen Hanni K., Ivaska Lauri, Tähtinen Paula A., Lempainen Johanna, Kantele Anu, Kakkola Laura, Julkunen Ilkka, Kolehmainen Pekka
- 2024 Huuskonen, Sini; Liu, Xiaonan; Pöhner, Ina; Redchuk, Taras; Salokas, Kari; Lundberg, Rickard; Maljanen, Sari; Belik, Milja; Reinholm, Arttu; Kolehmainen, Pekka; Tuhkala, Antti; Tripathi, Garima; Laine, Pia; Belanov, Sergei; Auvinen, Petri; Vartiainen, Maria; Keskitalo, Salla; Österlund, Pamela; Laine, Larissa; Poso, Antti; Julkunen, Ilkka; Kakkola, Laura; Varjosalo, Markku
- Virus-specific Dicer-substrate siRNA swarms inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in TMPRSS2-expressing Vero E6 cellsImage-based and machine learning-guided multiplexed serology test for SARS-CoV-2 (2024)
- Frontiers in MicrobiologyCell reports : methods
Jiang, Miao; Laine, Larissa; Kolehmainen, Pekka; Kakkola, Laura; Avelin, Veera; Väisänen, Elina; Poranen, Minna M.; Österlund, Pamela; Julkunen, Ilkka
- Coronavirus spike protein-specific antibodies indicate frequent infections and reinfections in infancy and among BNT162b2-vaccinated healthcare workers (2023) Kolehmainen Pekka, Huttunen Moona, Iakubovskaia Alina, Maljanen Sari, Tauriainen Sisko, Yatkin Emrah, Pasternack Arja, Naves Rauno, Toivonen Laura, Tähtinen Paula A, Ivaska Lauri, Lempainen Johanna, Peltola Ville, Waris Matti, Kakkola Laura, Ritvos Olli, Julkunen Ilkka
- Emerging Microbes, Infections, and Spillovers: Charting a Path Forward (2023) Grzybek Maciej, Kakkola Laura, Sironen Tarja, Kant Ravi
- Persistent T cell-mediated immune responses against Omicron variants after the third COVID-19 mRNA vaccine dose (2023) Pietiäinen Vilja, Polso Minttu, Migh Ede, Guckelsberger Christian, Harmati Maria, Diosdi Akos, Turunen Laura, Hassinen Antti, Potdar Swapnil, Koponen Annika, Sebestyen Edina Gyukity, Kovacs Ferenc, Kriston Andras, Hollandi Reka, Burian Katalin, Terhes Gabriella, Visnyovszki Adam, Fodor Eszter, Lacza Zsombor, Kantele Anu, Kolehmainen Pekka, Kakkola Laura, Strandin Tomas, Levanov Lev, Kallioniemi Olli, Kemeny Lajos, Julkunen Ilkka, Vapalahti Olli, Buzas Krisztina, Paavolainen Lassi, Horvath Peter, Hepojoki Jussi
- Insights into COVID-19: Perspectives on Drug Remedies and Host Cell ResponsesVP24 matrix proteins of eight filoviruses downregulate innate immune response by inhibiting the interferon-induced pathway (2023) Awad Ahmed M., Hansen Kamryn, Del Rio Diana, Flores Derek, Barghash Reham F., Kakkola Laura, Julkunen Ilkka, Awad Kareem
- (2023) Belik Milja, Liedes Oona, Vara Saimi, Haveri Anu, Pöysti Sakari, Kolehmainen Pekka, Maljanen Sari, Huttunen Moona, Reinholm Arttu, Lundberg Rickard, Skön Marika, Österlund Pamela, Melin Merit, Hänninen Arno, Hurme Antti, Ivaska Lauri, Tähtinen Paula A., Lempainen Johanna, Kakkola Laura, Jalkanen Pinja, Julkunen Ilkka
- Filovirus VP24 Proteins Differentially Regulate RIG-I and MDA5-Dependent Type I and III Interferon Promoter Activation (2023)
- Journal of General VirologyFrontiers in immunology
Khan Hira, Tripathi Lav, Kolehmainen Pekka, Lundberg Rickard, Altan Eda, Heroum Jemna, Julkunen Ilkka, Kakkola Laura, Huttunen Moona
- Comparative analysis of COVID-19 vaccine responses and third booster dose-induced neutralizing antibodies against Delta and Omicron variants (2022) Belik Milja, Jalkanen Pinja, Lundberg Rickard, Reinholm Arttu, Laine Larissa, Väisänen Elina, Skön Marika, Tähtinen Paula A., Ivaska Lauri, Pakkanen Sari H., Häkkinen Hanni K., Ortamo Eeva, Pasternack Arja, Ritvos Mikael A., Naves Rauno A., Miettinen Simo, Sironen Tarja, Vapalahti Olli, Ritvos Olli, Österlund Pamela, Kantele Anu, Lempainen Johanna, Kakkola Laura, Kolehmainen Pekka, Julkunen Ilkka
- Low pre-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Finnish health care workers: a prospective cohort study (2022) He Felix B., Khan Hira, Huttunen Moona, Kolehmainen Pekka, Melén Krister, Maljanen Sari, Qu Mengmeng, Jiang Miao, Kakkola Laura, Julkunen Ilkka
- Long-Lasting T Cell Responses in BNT162b2 COVID-19 mRNA Vaccinees and COVID-19 Convalescent Patients (2022) Hurme Antti, Jalkanen Pinja, Heroum Jemna, Liedes Oona., Vara Saimi, Melin Merit, Teräsjärvi Johanna, He Qiushui, Pöysti Sakari, Hänninen Arno, Oksi Jarmo, Vuorinen Tytti, Kantele Anu, Tähtinen Paula A., Ivaska Lauri, Kakkola Laura, Lempainen Johanna, Julkunen Ilkka
- (2022) Tähtinen Paula A, Ivaska Lauri, Jalkanen Pinja, Kakkola Laura, Kainulainen Leena, Hytönen Jukka, Vuorinen Tytti, Waris Matti, Peltola Ville, Oksi Jarmo, Julkunen Ilkka, Lempainen Johanna
- Rapid high-throughput compatible label-free virus particle quantification method based on time-resolved luminescence (2022)
- Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
Kopra Kari, Hassan Nazia, Vuorinen Emmiliisa, Valtonen Salla, Mahran Randa, Habib Huda, Jalkanen Pinja, Susi Petri, Hytönen Vesa, Hankaniemi Minna, Ylä-Herttuala Seppo, Kakkola Laura, Peurla Markus, Härmä Harri
- Serological Follow-Up Study Indicates High Seasonal Coronavirus Infection and Reinfection Rates in Early Childhood (2022) Kolehmainen Pekka, Heroum Jemna, Jalkanen Pinja, Huttunen Moona, Toivonen Laura, Marjomaki Varpu, Waris Matti, Smura Teema, Kakkola Laura, Tauriainen Sisko, Peltola Ville, Julkunen Ilkka
- Vaccine-Induced Antibody Responses against SARS-CoV-2 Variants-Of-Concern Six Months after the BNT162b2 COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination (2022) Jalkanen Pinja, Kolehmainen Pekka, Haveri Anu, Huttunen Moona, Laine Larissa, Österlund Pamela, Tähtinen Paula A., Ivaska Lauri, Maljanen Sari, Reinholm Arttu, Belik Milja, Smura Teemu, Häkkinen Hanni K., Ortamo Eeva, Kantele Anu, Julkunen Ilkka, Lempainen Johanna, Kakkola Laura