Members
   | Pirta Hotulainen, PhD, Docent, Group leader
Pirta started her cellular neuroscience group in 2009. She started her career as a biochemist (University of Helsinki) and continued then to actin cell biology during her PhD in Germany (supervised by prof. Martin Bähler) and during postdoctoral training in the Institute of Biotechnology (University of Helsinki, supervised by prof. Pekka Lappalainen). For her own group, she wanted to continue with the actin cytoskeleton and as neuronal actin cytoskeleton was relatively poorly studied at that time, she brought her actin expertise to neuroscience. She is actively contributing to science outreach and politics and she is currently Chair of Finnish Brain Research Society (https://www.brsf.org) and Vice Chair of European “young” Neuroscience PIs Network FENS-KAVLI (https://fenskavlinetwork.org) . |
  
  | David Micinski, MSc, PhD Student
David received his BSc in psychology from Centenary College of Louisiana, USA, and completed his MSc in neuroscience at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He has been a PhD student in the group since 2018. His research focuses on the axon initial segment (AIS) and how the cytoskeleton and associated proteins contribute to AIS function. He is currently investigating the role of diverse and dynamic actin structures in the formation and maintenance of the AIS. |
  
  | Emilia Toissalo, PhD student
Emilia is a PhD student studuying how neuropathic pain forms.
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  | Aqsa Jabeen, PhD student
Aqsa is a PhD student studuying how neuronal activity affects spine initiation.
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Former Members
Pushpa Khanal, PhD student
Rimante Minkeviciene, Post-doctoral fellow
Jolanta Lundgren, Post-doctoral fellow
Enni Bertling, Post-doctoral fellow
Merja Joensuu, Post-doctoral fellow
Amr Abou Elezz, PhD Thesis
Iryna Hlushcenko, PhD Thesis
Mikko Koskinen, PhD Thesis
Jutta Joukio, Master's Thesis
Maria Anastasiadou, Master's Thesis
Jonas Englund, Master's Thesis
Nora Nordström, Thesis, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Aruna Ghimire, PhD student
Jaakko Kuurne, Undergraduate Student
Aino Lipponen, Undergraduate Student
  
Internship Students
Katharina Möller, Germany
Carla Cuní López, Spain