Henna Jäntti

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the A.I.Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences since May 2024. I use CRISPR editing of human stem cell derived brain cells to uncover the neurobiological mechanisms governing glia-synapse interactions in diseases involving psychiatric symptoms. I am specifically interested in understanding how genetic and environmental risk factors affect the development of synapses and over time contribute to disease pathology.

Prior to my current position, I performed postdoctoral research at the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard at Beth Stevens and Matthew Johnson labs in Boston, USA. I focused on a common novel schizophrenia risk gene and developed methods to analyze the structure and function of human synapses in vitro strengthening my expertise in iPSC-neuron-astrocyte cocultures, complement, high-content confocal and super-resolution imaging, gene editing, and bioinformatics.

During my PhD at Prof. Tarja Malm lab, UEF, I gained expertise in human stem cell-derived brain microglia and developed one of the first differentiation methods to produce human iPSC-derived microglia with a suite of functional assays. My research revealed functional impairments upon genetic and environmental risk factors related to Alzheimer’s disease. I established a stem cell laboratory within the research group and gained leadership experience by training and supervising other researchers and MSc students. I also worked at Charles River Laboratories, performing drug testing on neurodegenerative in vivo models.

Before academia, I had an upper degree in industrial design and worked as a designer. I enjoy making illustrations and am happy to help with visualizing scientific concepts.