I am a microbiologist by training and, starting in 2025, an Academy Research fellow funded by the Research Council of Finland at the University of Helsinki. My research focuses on antibiotic resistance, a gene-defined trait of bacteria that allows them to survive antibiotic treatments. As a result, bacterial infections that were once easily treatable can become life-threatening. Antibiotic resistance is one of the major global health threats, estimated to cause 1.3 million deaths annually worldwide.
In my current research, I use computational approaches to investigate which factors explain variation in the gut antibiotic resistance load across countries and individuals, as well as in understudied population groups such as children and the elderly. In my doctoral dissertation, I studied which factors in infants are associated with antibiotic resistance load. I found that exclusive breastfeeding was linked to lower resistance levels. This suggests that breastfeeding protects against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, likely because breast milk supports the growth of Bifidobacteria in the infant gut, whereas resistant bacteria thrive more under formula feeding.
I am also interested in the One Health perspective on antibiotic resistance—that is, considering humans, animals, and the environment as interconnected. I have studied resistance in, for example, wastewater and livestock, with I have a particular interest in how resistance spreads between different reservoirs.
My research provides knowledge on the key factors to target in order to mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance. In addition, I aim to encourage other biologists to learn computational methods and bioinformatics and to develop resources that benefit the wider research community.