Key research interests

Tissue engineering for drug research

My research focuses on developing functional and predictive cell-based tools for drug research and personalized medicine. We use stem cells- and biomaterials-based tissue engineering approach to produce functional cells and tissues. We have developed flexible, dynamic three-dimensional (3D) culture systems for human pluripotent stem cells (human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells) and human cancer cells. The current specific objective is to generate functional hepatocytes with 3D configuration as drug development tools for drug and chemical testing. We apply advanced cell culture technologies and novel biomaterials, along with molecular biology methods. Our research not only develops new cell-based technologies but also advance fundamental understanding of how matrix and biomaterials affect cell behavior and performance.

https://scholar.google.fi/citations?user=ZrW2FTsAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Teaching

Cell-biomaterials interactions, pharmaceutical and medical applications (lecture course 590284, 3 credits)

In vitro drug permeability (Advanced biopharmaceutics practicals 590289)

Short curriculum vitae

Education

BSc in Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, West China University of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China, 1996

PhD in Molecular Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tampere, Finland, 2005

Academic posts

Pharmacist, Institute for Drug Control, Xi'An, China, 1996-1999

Researcher, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland, 1999-2006

Senior researcher, REGEA Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Tampere, Finland, 2006-2007

Research scientist, A*STAR Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), Singapore, 2007-2009

Principal investigator, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, 2009-