University Distinguished Professor Laurie Kaguni has been selected by the Academy of Finland as a Finnish Distinguished Professor and will be appointed for five years within the FinMit Centre of Excellence/ Institute of Medical Technology at the University of Tampere.
This prestigious award will allow Kaguni to expand her collaboration with Academy professor Howy Jacobs to study mitochondrial DNA sequence variation in disease and aging.
Kaguni will analyze how the genes carried in mitochondrial DNA affect the disease-like characteristics of fruit fly mutants that are so-called models for human mitochondrial diseases. Such diseases include diverse and relatively rare neurological syndromes but also many cases of common conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, deafness and epilepsy. The project works to identify new genetic determinants and drug targets for understanding and treating mitochondrial diseases in humans.
Kaguni is internationally recognized for her expertise in the structural and mechanistic biochemistry of mitochondrial DNA replication. She is particularly interested in investigating the molecular mechanisms that relate to the replication and expression of mitochondrial DNA genome and their regulation. The research combines biochemical and molecular genetics methods.
The Finland Distinguished Professor Programme is aimed at achieving long-term international collaboration to strengthen Finnish scientific and technological knowledge.
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