Want to join our team? Post-doc positions in the field of cancer epigenomics and transcriptional regulation are open in our Oslo lab! Click on the link below to apply or contact us for more information. Positions will be filled immediately!
In addition to our group leader, Biswa, we have 4 team members in our lab in Oslo, Norway, and 5 team members in our lab in Helsinki, Finland. Find some further info about us below, as well as the list of alumni.
Group Leader
I lead the Sahu Lab research groups based in Oslo and Helsinki.
I am a genomics scientist by training with specialization in cancer research, mainly in transcription factor function and gene regulation in cancer.
My area of expertise is in transcription factor biology using several genome-wide functional genomics methods (ChIP-seq/nexus, bulk/single-cell RNA-seq), chromatin state (ATAC-seq), chromatin architecture methods (in situ HiC, ChIA-PET), cell fate conversion and lineage decision by transcription factors (transdifferention), high-throughput enhancer assays (MPRAs such as STARR-seq), genome editing using CRISPR-Cas9 and their integrative computational analysis.
The goal of my research is to understand the role of non-coding regulatory genome in human diseases aiming towards precision translational medicine.
Liangru Fei, PhD
Post-doc
I’m a post-doctoral researcher at Sahu Lab in Oslo and my work involves understanding the role of defined transcription factors in controlling pancreatic cell fate and their role in pancreatic cancer.
I received my Ph.D. in Pathology and Physiopathology at China Medical University in June, 2019 and then started my postdoc in Biswajyoti Sahu’s lab. Currently, my project focuses on the cell-fate conversion by direct reprogramming to make pancreatic excocrine cells. The goal is to understand the changes in 3D-genome architecture during this reprogramming process and getting better insight into the lineage-specificity of human cancers.
In particular, I use defined transcription factors for converting one cell type to another by a method known as transdifferentiation. The goal is to understand the role of these defined factors in modulating chromatin structure and gene expression during this dynamic process of transdifferentiation.
Celina Wiik, MsC
PhD Student
I’m a PhD Student at Sahu Lab in Oslo and my work involves understanding the molecular determinants operating at the chromatin level in endometriosis.
I completed my Masters Degree in the Molecular Bioscience and Biochemistry program from the University of Oslo in Norway. My Masters thesis work involved isolation and activation of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) cells. I was studying the effect of pharmacological inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies on the survival and proliferation of CLL cells for possible therapeutic development. The work involved multicolour flow cytometry, RNA work and confocal microscopy.
Currently, I am learning mammalian cell culture and modern genome-wide methods to understand chromatin structure, function and its role in gene regulation in human enhanceropathies such as in endometriosis and exploring parallels with cancer in terms of cellular plasticity.
Srinjoyee Pawar, MsC
PhD Student
I’m a PhD Student at Sahu Lab in Oslo and my work involves understanding pancreatic cancer-specific metabolic gene regulation.
I completed my Masters Degree in Molecular Medicine from the Jawaharlal Nehru University in India. My Masters thesis project was on identification of downstream targets genes of TET3 methyl cytosine deoxygenate in Acute Erythroid Leukaemia (AML) by using next generation sequencing analysis of RNA-seq data from wild type cells and cells with depletion of TET3.
Currently, I am learning cell culture of primary prostate epithelial cells and pancreatic cancer cell lines together with modern molecular biology methods to understand the role of chromatin modifiers and regulators of chromatin reprogramming.
Rasma Gutsmite, MsC
Lab Engineer
I’m a Lab Engineer at Sahu Lab in Oslo and my work involves managing the research operations and assisting researchers with their experiments and day to day work.
Divyesh Patel, PhD
Post-doc
I’m a post-doctoral researcher at Sahu Lab in Helsinki, and my work involves understanding the non-coding regulatory genome for example the role of transposable elements in cancer-specific gene regulation.
I received my Ph.D. from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar in Dec, 2020 and then started my postdoctoral research in Biswajyoti Sahu’s lab. Currently, my project focuses on understanding the non-coding regulatory genome with a special emphasis on the role of transposable elements in organ-specific cancer.
I am using next-generation sequencing based methods such as massively parallel reporter assays (STARR-seq) to decode enhancer function and nascent RNA mapping for understanding their role in cancer genome reprogramming.
Ville Tiusanen, MsC
PhD Student
I’m a PhD Student at Sahu lab in Helsinki and my work involves understanding the critical pancreatic cancer-specific gene regulation and the role of transcription factors in enhancer and super-enhancer structures.
I am interested in understanding the role of cancer-specific enhancers and specifically the super enhancer architecture in primary and cancer cells.
In particular, I am involved in the data analysis of next-generation Illumina sequencing datasets of genome-wide transcription factor binding, epigenetic modifications and chromatin accessibility.
Sami Hyttinen
Part-time student
I am studying for my Masters degree in Psychology at the University of Helsinki, and I am currently working as a part-time researcher in the Enhancer Biology laboratory.
I joined the Enhancer Biology laboratory as a summer student and got excited with the bioinformatics analysis of genome-wide datasets in understanding chromatin state and gene regulation.
After the summer job, I am continuing as a part time researcher to study the role of repetitive transposable elements and their expression pattern during the course of cell differentiation and their associated epigenetic changes at the chromatin level.
Nilanjana Mani, MsC
Technical Assistant
I obtained my MSc in Bioinformatics from Banaras Hindu University, India, and worked in Germany for one year before joining Sahu lab.
My work involves computational analysis and interpretation of genome-wide datasets to understand the role of transcription factors in cancer genome.
Veera Erkkilä
Lab Manager
I am studying for my Masters degree in Microbiology at the University of Helsinki, and I am currently working as a lab manager in the Enhancer Biology laboratory shared with Dr. Päivi Pihlajamaa’s laboratory in the Applied Tumor Genomics Program.
My work involves managing the research operations and assisting researchers with their experiments and day to day work in the laboratory.
I also learn new methods and techniques in cell and molecular biology used in cancer research.
Jihan Xia, PhD, Post-Doc – University of Helsinki, Finland, now co-PI in Chongqing Medical University, China
Konsta Karttunen, MSc, Masters thesis student and Research assistant – University of Helsinki, Finland
Nikita Poddar, MSc, Research assistant, now Bioinformatician in Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA
Pinja Perkkiö, Lab Manager, now Masters student in University of Helsinki, Finland
Frederik Labonte, Erasmus internship, now Masters student in University of Cologne, Germany
Kerim Yavuz, MSc, Research assistant, now PhD student Koç University, Turkey
Ting Wei, PhD, Post-doc – University of Helsinki, Finland
Morena Bazelli, BSc, Erasmus internship, International Hellenic University, Greece
Marco Bardus, Research assistant, Polytechnic Di Torino, Italy
Precision targeting of malfunctioning gene regulatory elements in human cancer and other enhanceropathies.
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