Adjunct Prof. Timo Myöhänen, Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki

Host: Jukka Westermarck

Timo Myöhänen got his PhD (Pharmacology) in 2008 at University of Kuopio, and thereafter had post-doctoral visits in University of Antwerp (Belgium) and Georgetown University (Washington DC, USA) in 2010 and 2012. Dr. Myöhänen established his research group into Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy in University of Helsinki in 2011, got docentship in pharmacology in 2012 and is currently holding an Academy of Finland Research Fellow position. His research has focused on impact of a serine protease, prolyl oligopeptidase (PREP) and its pharmacological inhibition, on aggregation and toxicity of alpha-synuclein, a possible key player in cellular toxicity on Parkinson’s disease. Recent studies of Myöhänen lab have shown that PREP inhibitors can reduce the aggregation of alpha-synuclein and also enhance its clearance from cells by accelerating autophagy.

Lab website: http://blogs.helsinki.fi/prepinneuro/