Our People

Lotta Oikari

Research Officer

lotta.oikari@qimrberghofer.edu.au

CAREER HISTORY

Dr Lotta Oikari obtained her BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Turku, Finland after which she moved to Australia to undertake PhD studies. She completed her PhD at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2017 specialising in human neural stem cell models. Following her PhD studies, Dr Oikari started as a post-doctoral researcher in Associate Professor Anthony White’s Cellular and Molecular Neurodegeneration group at QIMR Berghofer, where her research focuses on using patient-derived pluripotent stem cells to study neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

CURRENT APPOINTMENTS

2016 – current: Research Officer, Cellular and Molecular Neurodegeneration Laboratory

PREVIOUS APPOINTMENTS

2013 – 2016: PhD Student, Genomics Research Centre, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
2014 : IHBI Postgraduate Student Committee and Postgraduate Student Conference Organising Committee Representative, Brisbane, Australia
2011: Intern, Genomics Research Centre, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
2010 – 2012: Trainee, Molecular Systems Immunology, Turku Centre for Biotechnology, Finland

ORCID NUMBER

0000-0001-7821-8622

RESEARCHER ID

AAZ-2508-2020

CURRENT AREA OF RESEARCH

Dr Oikari is a human stem cell researcher and her work specifically focuses on using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Her current area of interest is developing an iPSC-derived blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vitro model of Alzheimer’s disease to understand Alzheimer’s disease-specific changes at the BBB and model drug delivery using focused ultrasound. Dr Oikari’s key expertise and skillsets include hiPSC differentiation to neural cell types and brain endothelial cells, the use of 3D culture platforms (including hydrogel-based and microfluidic platforms), co-culture models of stem cell-derived neural cells, molecular biology techniques, microscopy and studying the effects of focused ultrasound.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

identified key differences between healthy and familial Alzheimer’s patient-derived brain endothelial cells, including tight junction protein and efflux transporter expression and function highlighting disease-specific effects on the blood-brain barrier
demonstrated the ability to use focused ultrasound as a means for drug delivery and amyloid clearance in a blood-brain barrier in vitro model and identified differences in the response to ultrasound between healthy and patient-derived brain endothelial cells

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

2017 – current: Brain foundation, Member
2016 – Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR), Queensland Branch, Co-Chair Postgraduate Student Conference Organising Committee
2015 – Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR), Queensland Branch, Postgraduate Student Conference Organising Committee Representative
2014 – 2016 Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR), Member

AWARDS RECOGNITION

2016: People’s Choice for Best Oral Presentation, ASMR Postgraduate Student Conference
2015: People’s Choice for Best Oral Presentation, IHBI Inspires Postgraduate Student Conference
2013: Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology Travel Bursary
2013: QUT Higher Degree Research Tuition Fee Scholarship
2013: QUT Postgraduate Student Award

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

2017: PhD, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
2012: MSc, University of Turku, Finland
2011: BSc, University of Turku, Finland