My research interests are related to genetics of human pregnancy complications and birth defects. I’m interested in “the paradox of human pregnancy”, the mechanisms that prevent maternal immune system from reacting against the fetus with half of the genes inherited from the father. Fetal immune tolerance, escape from the maternal immune responses, is crucial for successful pregnancy. On the other hand, too high tolerance and decreased activity of maternal immune cells may increase the risk for infections during pregnancy. Therefore, the balance between the immune tolerance and resistance to infections, and the complex immunological mechanisms, might be centrally related to human pregnancy complications such as miscarriages and preeclampsia.
I defended my thesis in the University of Helsinki in 2008 in the field of pediatrics and medical genetis. During my specialization to obstetrics and gynecology, I worked as a post-doctoral researcher in the laboratory of professor Juha Kere, University of Helsinki. Currently, I’m working as a clinical researcher and senior consultant in the Women’s clinic of the Helsinki University Hospital.