Team

Johanna became PI of the Syrjänen lab in late 2024. Her lab is based in the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Helsinki, Finland. 

After her undergraduate studies in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, she stayed on to do her PhD in the lab of Prof. Luca Pellegrini. Following an invigorating stint in biotech at Iontas Ltd., during which she co-invented a therapeutic antibody developability screening platform, Johanna moved to New York to pursue postdoctoral research in the lab of Prof. Hiro Furukawa at Cold Spring Harbor Labotatory.  There, she dove into working out how to apply cryo-EM and electrophysiology to uncover the structural and functional properties of pannexin and CALHM channels, now recognised as large-pore channels and leading to some of the first structures in this field.

Johanna's research team investigates how cells signal and respond to changes in their environment at a molecular and structural level. Johanna was awarded an Academy Research Fellowship (Research Council of Finland) in 2024.

Nathan was awarded his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, where he first began working on membrane proteins. He completed his first postdoc at the University of Oulu in Finland and joined the Syrjänen lab as a postdoctoral fellow in 2024. His research interests are in investigating the molecular mechanisms that underpin micronutrient scavenging in fungi. Outside the lab, he loves hiking, playing volleyball, video games, board games and delving into astronomy.

Heleen completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees in biology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, specializing in microbiology, immunology, and nutrition. During her master’s studies, she completed an internship at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. As a technician in the Syrjänen lab, Heleen plays a key role in supporting lab organisation, daily operations, and ongoing research activities. In her free time, Heleen enoys outdoor sports like running and skiing, as well as working on projects such as sewing clothes and gardening.