Anne Roivainen – Roivainen & Saraste Group

Anne Roivainen
PhD, Professor of Preclinical Imaging and Drug Research
Turku PET Centre
University of Turku and Turku University Hospital

Education and degrees:

2004, Adjunct Professor (Experimental Nuclear Medicine), University of Turku, Faculty of. Medicine, Turku, Finland
1998, PhD (Medicine), University of Turku, Faculty of. Medicine, Turku, Finland
1990, MSc (Biochemistry (major), Chemistry, Medicine), University of Kuopio, Faculty of Natural & Health Sciences, Kuopio, Finland
1987, BSc (Biochemistry), University of Kuopio, Faculty of Natural & Health Sciences, Kuopio, Finland

Current position:

Professor of Preclinical Imaging and Drug Research, University of Turku, Turku PET Centre, 2011–2021
Coordinator, University of Turku, Turku Center for Disease Modeling, Animal Imaging Unit, 2007–present

Previous work experience:

Academy of Finland Research Fellow, Turku PET Centre, 2007–2012
Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher, Turku PET Centre, 2004–2006
Finnish Cancer Institute Postdoctoral Researcher, Turku PET Centre, 2002–2003
Postdoctoral Researcher/Biochemist, Turku University Hospital, Turku PET Centre, 1998–2006
PhD Student/Researcher, University of Turku, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 1992–1998
Research Associate, Turku University Hospital, Department of Pathology, 1991
Full-time Teacher (Mathematics & Chemistry), Klassillinen Upper Secondary School, Kuopio, Finland, 1989–1990
Career breaks (3): Maternity leaves, 1993, 1995, 2005.

Research funding – Received grants during last 10 years (~3 M€)

Academy of Finland
Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation
Business Finland
Sigrid Jusélius Foundation
State Research Funding (ERVA)
Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research

(Co-)Supervisor of completed doctoral students (10)

Iina Laitinen, PhD 2009, “Imaging of the vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. pre-clinical evaluation of PET tracers for vascular inflammation”; co-supervisor Juhani Knuuti
Tiina Ujula, PhD 2011, “Studies on 68Ga-based agents for PET imaging of cancer and inflammation”; co-supervisor Pirkko Härkönen.
Anu Autio, PhD 2012,”In vivo imaging of vascular adhesion protein 1 – preclinical studies with positron emission tomography”; co-supervisor Sirpa Jalkanen
Johanna Silvola, PhD 2012, “Detection of the vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. pre-clinical evaluation of novel PET imaging probes with experimental models”; co-supervisor Juhani Knuuti.
Miikka Tarkia, PhD 2015, “Translational models of coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction and heart failure. Development, validation and in vivo imaging studies using positron emission tomography”; co-supervisor Antti Saraste.
Sanna Hellberg, PhD 2017, “Evaluation of macrophage-targeting PET tracers for imaging inflammation in atherosclerosis”; co-supervisor Antti Saraste.
Aida Kiviniemi, PhD 2017, “Molecular imaging-guided gene therapy of malignant gliomas”; co-supervisor Heikki Minn.
Helena Virtanen, PhD, 2017, “Vascular adhesion protein-1 as in vivo target for imaging of leukocyte transendothelial migration in inflammation”; co-supervisor Sirpa Jalkanen.
Max Kiugel, PhD 2018, “Molecular imaging of tissue repair after myocardial infarction: Preclinical evaluation of novel (68)Ga-labeled PET tracers”; co-supervisor Antti Saraste.
Meeri Käkelä, PhD 2020, “Gallium-68 radiolabeling of biomolecules for positron emission tomography with special reference to imaging of inflammation and bone”; co-supervisor Xiang-Guo Li.
Maria Grönman, PhD 2020, ”PET imaging of ischaemic myocardial injury and angiogenesis”; co-supervisor Antti Saraste.
Petri Elo, PhD 2020, “Preclinical evaluation of novel radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography imaging of animal models of multiple sclerosis”; co-supervisors Sirpa Jalkanen and Laura Airas.
Mia Ståhle, PhD 2020, “Molecular imaging and immunotherapy in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease”; co-supervisor Antti Saraste.
Riikka Viitanen, PhD 2021, “Evaluation of 68Ga-labeled PET radiopharmaceuticals for imaging of αvβ3 integrin and vascular adhesion protein-1 in inflammation and cancer”; co-supervisor Sirpa Jalkanen.

Currently co-supervising the following doctoral students (11):

Jussi Mäkilä, MSc, “PET imaging of bone related miRNA”; co-supervisor Tiina Laitala-Leinonen.
Sauli Uotila, MD, “Molecular imaging of cardiovascular diseases”; co-supervisor Antti Saraste.
Jenni Virta, MSc, “Molecular imaging of cardiovascular disease in type-2 diabetes: Evaluation of experimental models and their responses to treatment”; co-supervisor Antti Saraste.
Olli Moisio, MSc, “Development of radiopharmaceuticals for PET imaging of inflammation and cancer”; co-supervisor Xiang-Guo Li.
Ella Kyläinpää, MSc, “Determining effects of diet, microbiological status and microbiota on the metabolic phenotype of ApoE-/- mice as a model for drug development”; co-supervisors Emrah Yatkin, Antti Saraste.
Arghavan Jahandideh, MSc, “Molecular imaging of cardiac inflammation using new PET tracers in experimental models”; co-supervisor Antti Saraste.
Maxwell Miner, MSc, “Radiosynthesis of [18F](2S, 4R)4-Fluoroglutamine for in-vivo PET imaging”; co-supervisor Xiang-Guo Li.
Putri Andriana, MSc, “Development of PET imaging agent targeting macrophage mannose receptor in cardiovascular disease and cancer”; co-supervisors Antti Saraste, Xiang-Guo Li.
Imran Iqbal, MSc, “Molecular imaging in myocardial infarction”; co-supervisor Antti Saraste.
Erika Atencio Herre, MSc, “Preclinical evaluation of new macrophage and fibrosis targeted imaging agents in experimental cardiovascular disease models”, co-supervisors Antti Saraste, Xiang-Guo Li

Member of Editorial Boards:

American Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Contrast Media & Molecular Imaging
Molecules