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Sainsbury Laboratory

My professional path has been always connected to scientific research. I obtained my PhD in Cancer Biology at the University of Zurich having previously worked on the programmed cell death signalling pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana at the ETH-Zurich. For most of my career I worked in academia, but I was also involved in product development in the R&D sector of the bioindustry. 

I joined the Helariutta group in 2014 to support development of the research project focusing on vascular tissue development in the root of Arabidopsis thaliana and to help with relocating the lab from the University of Helsinki to Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU), UK. Recently, I have been managing the return of the group to the University of Helsinki. Working at the edge of the two world-class universities, I provide broad administrative, finance and personnel support to our research team, and personal assistance to Ykä, including grant applications and editorial tasks. I arrange academic visits and organise events such as group retreats, symposiums and conferences. Since 2021 I have been also coordinating development and activities for the Centre of Excellence in Tree Biology of the Academy of Finland. I love working with teams and creating an inspirational environment for them to thrive. 

Visiting Researcher
Dr Karolina  Blajecka

Contact Details

Sainsbury Laboratory
University of Cambridge
47 Bateman Street
Cambridge
CB2 1LR