People
The people and teams behind our research.
Meny
The people and teams behind our research.
Professor
Thomas Helleday is Swedish and obtained his first degree in molecular biology at Stockholm University (1995). Alongside these studies, he took a degree in Business Administration and Economics at the same university (1996). In 1999, he was awarded a Ph.D. from Stockholm University for his studies on homologous recombination in mammalian cells.
After a short post-doctoral research period with Mark Meuth at the Institute for Cancer Research, Sheffield, UK, he obtained a lectureship at the same institute and set up his own group, with an interest in homologous recombination at replication forks in mammalian cells. At the same time, he maintained grants and a position at Stockholm University, allowing his group to continue research at the Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Toxicology.
Thomas Helleday became a professor at both University of Sheffield and Stockholm University in 2006, prior to being recruited as MRC Professor of Cancer Therapeutics at the Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology at the University of Oxford, Currently, Thomas Helleday is the Torsten and Ragnar Söderberg Professor of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology at Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology and Pathology, at the Karolinska Institutet Science Park in Stockholm. He has won numerous prestigious prizes including the ERC Advanced Grant Award twice in 2010 and 2016, Cancer researcher of the year 2016 by the Swedish Cancer Society, Erik K Fernström Prize in Medicine 2014, Göran Gustafsson Prize in Medicine 2013, Skandia’s Lennart Levi Prize at Karolinska Institutet 2012. In the summer of 2018, he simultaneously joined Sheffield University at the Department of Oncology and Metabolism for the establishment of a new cancer research institute. The current focus in the Helleday laboratories is understanding and exploiting altered nucleotide metabolism and DNA repair at replication forks for novel anti-cancer and inflammation therapies.
Awards and Prices:
Carcinogenesis Young Investigator Award 2010, the Swiss Bridge Award 2008 by the Swiss Cancer League and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), the Svedberg Award 2008 by SFBM and Swedish National Committee for Molecular Biosciences, the European Association for Cancer Research Young Cancer Researchers Award 2007, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Hilda and Alfred Eriksson’s prize 2007 for an outstanding research contribution in relief of diseases in man or animal, British Association for Cancer Research (BACR) – AstraZeneca Young Scientist Frank Rose Award 2006, the Eppendorf-Nature Young European Investigator Award 2005 for outstanding contribution within the field of biomedical science and the European Environmental Mutagen Society (EEMS) Young Scientist Award 2005.
Thomas Helleday
Professor
Ann-Sofie Jemth
Co-PI
Ann-Sofie Jemth
Principal Researcher, Team & Project leader
Education
1996 Master of Science Biochemistry, Uppsala University, Sweden
2002 Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Uppsala University, Sweden
Experience
2018 – present
Team leader, project leader, and Principal Researcher at the Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, Laboratory of Professor Thomas Helleday
2012 – 2017
Team leader and Researcher at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, Laboratory of Professor Thomas Helleday
2005 – 2012
Assistant Professor at the Department of Genetics Microbiology and Toxicology, Stockholm University, Sweden, Laboratory of Professor Thomas Helleday
2006 – 2010
Director of the Graduate Research School in Gene Expression at Stockholm University 20 %
2002 – 2004
Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Medical Research Council Laboratory Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK, Laboratory of Professor Philipp Holliger
1997 – 2001
Laboratory teacher 20 % at the Department of Biochemistry, Uppsala University
Research Interest and Expertise
Enzyme assay development, enzyme kinetics, drug discovery, protein expression and purification, structural biology, understanding of enzyme function
Who am I?
I like spending time in nature, walking, running, skiing or orienteering. I like singing and spending time with my family, especially in our summer house in Dalarna.
Announcement
If would you like to perform a Master of a science project in our lab within the area of biochemistry and drug discovery please contact me using annsofie.jemth@scilifelab.se.
Christina Chalkiadaki
Research Assistant
Education
2019 BSc in Biology, University of Crete, Greece
2022 MSc in Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Sweden
Research Interest
Cancer research, molecular biology, drug discovery
Who am I?
In my free time, I enjoy walking in nature, listening to music and watching tennis
Elisee Wiita
Research Engineer
Experience
1989 – 2001 Research Scientist, Karo Bio AB
2002 – 2006 Laboratory Engineer, Biovitrum AB
2006 – 2010 Research Scientist, iNovacia AB
2010 – 2013 Research Scientist, Kancera AB
2013 – present in vitro pharmacologist at Helleday Lab, SciLifeLab, Department of Oncology and Pathology
Education
1985 – 1987 University degree in human biology, Uppsala University
1987 – 1988 Basic course in chemistry, Stockholm’s University
1989 Degree in Molecular Biology, Stockholm’s University
Research activities
Assay development, screening and target development
GPCR, biochemical, biophysical and cell-based assays
Who am I?
I enjoy outdoor activities like playing golf in the summer and cross country or downhill skiing in the winter. I push myself every week to spend some time at the gym or go for a run.
At home I like to read, listen to podcasts, watch series or enjoy a nice dinner and a movie. I love travelling or just spending time with my friends, family and cats.
Kumar Sanjiv
Team leader
Education
1997 – 2003 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Veterinary College, KVAFS University, Bangalore Karnataka India
2004 – 2006 Masters in Veterinary Microbiology (M.V.Sc), College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Rajasthan Agriculture University, Bikaner Rajasthan, India.
2006 – 2011 Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine, Molecular Medicine (TIGP) Taiwan International Graduate Program- A joint international program offered by, the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Academia Sinica and Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan (ROC)
Experience
2011 – 2012 Postdoc at IBMS Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
2012 – Postdoc in Prof Thomas Helleday’s lab at Science for Life lab; Division of Translational Medicine, MBB Karolinska Medical Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Therese Pham
Research Engineer
Education
1985 B.Sc., in Biology. Wesleyan University, Illinois, USA
1989 M.Sc., in Behavior Analysis & Therapy. Southern Illinois University, USA
2001 Ph.D., Behavioural Neuroscience. Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Experience
2012 – present Research engineer, Helleday Laboratory, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet
2007 – 2011 Senior researcher, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Karolinska Institutet
2005 – 2006 Postdoctoral position at Dept. of Neurobiology Care Sciences & Society, Karolinska Institutet
2002 – 2004 Postdoctoral position at Dept. of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet
Sandra Ekstedt
Project leader
Education
2013 M.Sc., biomedicine, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
2019 Ph.D., Neutrophil subsets in airway inflammation and hyperreactivity, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Research Interest
Inflammation and immunology, Molecular biology, FACS, and the neutrophils
Who am I?
In my free time, I like kayaking, sweating in the gym but also relaxing on the couch, and eating salt licorice in front of a TV series with many episodes.
Theodora Manolakou
Postdoctoral Researcher
Education
2011-2016 BSc/MSc (integrated) in Biotechnology. Dept. of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology & Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece
2016-2018 MSc in Molecular Biomedicine, Medical School, University of Athens in collaboration with Biomedical Sciences Research Centre ”Alexander Fleming” (BSRC), Greece
2018-2022 PhD in Autoimmunity & Inflammation, Medical School, University of Athens in collaboration with Biomedical Research Foundation of Athens Academy (BRFAA), Greece
Research Interest
I focus on the role and pharmaceutical targeting of the DNA damage response in Autoimmunity.
Who am I?
Besides biology science, I am a travel enthusiast. I like meeting new people and experiencing new cultures. I also adore cats. Finally, I believe that it is important to get out of your comfort zone. My motto is ”everything will be okay in the end”.
Jianyu Shen
Ph.D. student
Education
2022 – present Ph.D. student of Helleday Lab, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
2016 – 2017 MSc in Drug Discovery and Translational Biology, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland
2012 – 2016 BSc in Biopharmaceutical, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, China
Experience
2017 – 2021 Researcher of R&D department, Huadong Medicine Co., Ltd, China
Who am I?
I like watching musicals and reading books in my spare time.
Oliver Mortusewicz
Team leader & Project leader
Education
1999 – 2004 Diploma in Biology, University of Kaiserslautern and Ludwig Maximilians University, Germany
2005 – 2007 Ph.D. in Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Germany
Experience
2008 – 2010 Postdoctoral researcher, Ludwig Maximilians University, Germany
2010 – 2012 EMBO Fellow, postdoctoral researcher, Gray Institute, UK
2012 – 2013 Postdoctoral researcher, Stockholm University, Sweden
2013 – present Team leader Basic Science & Project leader, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Who am I?
In my spare time, I enjoy photography, cycling, hiking, and reading.
Helge Gad
Principal Researcher
Education
1996 Master of Science in Biology, Stockholm University
2000 PhD in Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet
Experience
2001 Research assistant, Karolinska Institutet 2002 – 2004 Post-doctoral fellow, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neuroscience
2004 – 2006 Post-doctoral fellow, Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, Italy
2007 – 2012 Senior Scientist, Stockholm University, Department of Genetics Microbiology and Toxicology
2012 – 2019 Senior Scientist, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics
2019 – 2022 Research Fellow, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
2022 – present Principal Researcher, Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet
Research Interest
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of DNA repair at telomeres in human cells. Development of small molecules and validation of drug targets including the Uracil glycosylase SMUG1 and the endonuclease APE2, an enzyme involved in telomere maintenance and PARP inhibitor resistance.
Who am I?
I live on the countryside with my wife, two teenage boys and a small dog. I like to create jewelry in silver and glass and to play the cello.
Maeve Long
Postdoctoral Researcher
Education
2013 – 2018 Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology, University College Dublin, Ireland.
2009 – 2013 Cell and Molecular Biology BSc. (Honours degree), University College Dublin, Ireland
Research interest
Who am I?
I love to go hiking and dancing in my free time.
James Haslam
Ph.D. Student
Education
2022 Ph.D. Student, Helleday Lab, KI
2020 2022 Graduate Scientist, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
2019 2020 Research Intern, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
2018 2020 BSc Biochemistry with Study in Industry – Bristol University, UK
Research Interest
Drug discovery, DNA Damage Response, cancer biology, molecular biology, inflammation biology, gene editing
Hannah Stigsdotter
Research Assistant
Education
2022 MSc in Nutrition Science, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
2021 BSc in Biomedicine, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Research Interest
Cancer research, Cell biology, Molecular biology, DNA damage signaling, Drug discovery
Who am I?
In my spare time, I enjoy lifting weights at the gym, spending time in nature, reading, and watching series.
Martin Scobie
Team Leader & Project Lead
Education
After obtaining a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Edinburgh, I carried out post-doctoral work in Switzerland and the UK before going on to work in Biotech and Pharma in project leader and team leader roles (Oxford Diversity, Pharmacia, Biovitrum, Orexo). I met Thomas in 2010 and built up the current medicinal chemistry team working on novel targets in the area of DNA repair and metabolism.
Research Interest
My interests include lead-generation and lead-optimization strategies as well as the development of new synthetic methods.
Who am I?
I’m a keen fisherman and enjoy exploring Sweden’s wild places in pursuit of Trout and Grayling.
Evert Homan
Senior Researcher
Education
I have a Masters degree in pharmacy (1993) and a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry (1998) from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. After that I spent a year as an industrial postdoc at Pharmacopeia, Inc. in Princeton, USA. In 2000 I moved to Sweden to join Pharmacia & Upjohn as a computational chemist. When Biovitrum was spun off in 2001 I followed along and worked at the Discovery unit until 2008. After having worked at Beactica in Uppsala, I Joined the Helleday lab in 2013.
Research Interest
Computational and medicinal chemistry, cheminformatics, fragment-based drug discovery, target identification.
Who am I?
I am Dutch by birth but have lived in Sweden since the start of the millennium. In my free time enjoy building and playing electric guitars, and relax at my summer house with my family.
Olov Wallner
Chemist
Education
2001 – 2006 Ph. D. in Organic chemistry, Stockholm’s University
2006 – 2008 Post-doc researcher, University of Bristol, UK
Experience
2008-2012 Research Scientist, Novadex Pharmaceuticals AB
Oryn Purewal Sidhu
Post Doc
Education
2015 -2019 MChem Chemistry, University of Southampton, UK
2018 6-Month placement in organic chemistry, University of Cape Town, South Africa
2019-2023 PhD in organic chemistry, University of Southampton, UK
2023-present Postdoctoral researcher in medicinal chemistry, Helleday lab, Karolinska Institutet
Research Interest
Using the power of synthetic and medicinal chemistry to tackle some of Nature’s most difficult problems.
Who am I?
I moved to Stockholm with my partner. We love traveling and exploring new places. My weekends are mostly filled with watching Formula 1 or football (currently suffering as a Chelsea fan).
