Meritförteckning

EDUCATION

Licentiate of Medicine (MD equiv.), University of Helsinki, 31 May 1995

Doctor of Medical Sciences (PhD equiv.), University of Helsinki,14 Dec 1999

Certified specialist in Clinical Microbiology, Univ. of Helsinki, 3 Aug 2001

Docent (Adjunct Professor)  in Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Univ. of Helsinki, 5 Jan 2006

Meritförteckning

CURRENT POSITIONS

Clinical teacher (Senior lecturer), permanent position Univ. of Helsinki, Finland   1 Aug 2008-

R&D Manager (part-time), United Medix Laboratories Ltd., Espoo                      1 Oct 2009-

Information om forskning och undervisning

Jokiranta research group is a scientific work group lead by T. Sakari Jokiranta at Haartman-institute, University of Helsinki, Finland. The focus of the research is in function of an important arm of innate immunity, the alternative pathway of complement. The main question is how that system leaves the host structures intact while destroying the invading pathogenic microbes.There are two projects to answer to the main question. (1) Protection of the glomerular structures by complement factor H and pathogenesis of the kidney diseases that develop when thend. The focus and main question in this project is how the alternative pathway of complement works as a part of the innate immunity to leave protection is insufficient (membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type II/ dense deposit disease and atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome). (2) Mechanisms of complement evasion of certain microbes (e.g. Streptococcus pyogenes, Borrelia recurrentis, B. duttonii, Bordetella pertussis) by actively binding host factor H to their surface. The research is currently financed by the Academy of Finland, the Sigrid Juselius Foundation, and Helsinki University Central Hospital Funds.