Kuva: Nicole Anderton
In her doctoral dissertation, M.Sc. Siiri Suominen investigated how recreating key features of the liver’s natural environment can improve the maturity of stem cell derived hepatocyte like cells. She showed that 3D cultures, organ on chip platforms, and physiological oxygen conditions all enhance liver specific functions. Her research addresses a major limitation of current stem cell based liver models, which often remain too immature for reliable drug testing, toxicity prediction, and disease research. More mature and predictive in vitro liver models could benefit pharmaceutical development, reduce the need for animal testing, and support more efficient research for scientists and industry.
The doctoral dissertation of M.Sc. Siiri Suominen in the field of biosciences titled Mimicking the Liver Microenvironment: 3D Culturing, Organ-on-Chips, and Oxygen Regulation as Strategies to Improve iPSC-Derived Hepatocyte Maturation will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology at Tampere University on 6 March 2026.
The Opponent will be Professor Virgile Viasnoff from Université Aix-Marseille in France. The Custos will be Professor Katriina Aalto-Setälä from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University.