Erickson Lab
Principal Investigator: Andrew Erickson, PhD
Post Docs
Dr. Ceren Seref Vujaklija, PhD
Dr. Ceren Seref Vujaklija is a postdoctoral researcher at the Erickson Lab, focusing on early detection methods for prostate cancer. She holds a degree in Biology from Middle East Technical University and an M.Sc. in Medical Microbiology from Koc University School of Medicine. In 2020, she successfully completed her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at Koc University Research Centre for Translational Medicine, with a particular emphasis on identifying prognostic biomarkers for prostate cancer. Dr. Seref Vujaklija has an extensive wet lab expertise, having worked as a laboratory technician in both Finland and Turkey. Her current scientific focus revolves around method development, biomarker discovery, and advancing molecular diagnostics and prognostics in the context of prostate cancer.
Doctoral Researchers
Franziska Niemeyer, MSc
Doctoral researcher (iCANDOC)
My research investigates the prevalence and temporal emergence of somatic alterations in prostate and ovarian cancers. By leveraging and developing computational tools, I aim to uncover when such genomic changes first appear during human lifespan and how they influence disease onset and progression. The field of Spatial Transcriptomics represents an exciting intersection of my interests in bioinformatics, image analysis, and transcriptomic data analysis, sparking my eagerness in exploring how these can be leveraged to uncover new insights about how tumors evolve.
Veera Kurki, MSc
Doctoral researcher (iCANDOC)
I am exploring the spatial profiling of prostate tissues to gain a deeper understanding of prostate cancer development. My work involves applying various spatial biology techniques, including immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and spatial transcriptomics, to map alterations occurring in prostate tissues before and during cancer progression. I find it fascinating how combining these methods can reveal patterns and details within the tissues that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Master's Students
Inkalilja Pirinen, MSc
Technical Assistant
I work with histological image data from prostate tissue, applying novel computational methods and AI models to extract histological information. My current work attempts to address the challenges in the risk stratification of prostate cancer patients through exploration of histological features. Additionally, I investigate possibilities for AI-assisted annotation of large histology slides to be utilized in cancer research.
Medical Students
Laura Sysivirta
Medical student
Lab Technicians
Jasmin Talvitie, MSc
Laboratory technician
Hibak Wais, BSc
Laboratory technican
Former Members
--