- May 2022 - Nov 2023: Milla Similä, University of Turku (SLH main supervisor)
- Jan 2022 - Jun 2023: Inga-Katariina Aapalampi, University of Turku (SLH main supervisor)
- Nov 2021 - May 2023: Olli Pitkänen, University of Turku (SLH main supervisor)
- Mar 2021 - Jun 2022: Elizaveta Zakharova, University of Turku (SLH co-supervisor)
- Sep 2021 - Jun 2022: Enni Liinoja, University of Turku (SLH co-supervisor)
Current members
Our team is comprised doctoral researchers, masters students, and advanced bachelor students. Interested in joining?
Shane Hogle (he/him/his); Principal investigator
Shane is a microbial evolutionary ecologist seeking to understand how microorganisms interact and evolve and how community interaction networks can change over time. He is particularly interested in how microbial ecological dynamics scale to influence entire ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles. His science links field observations and the synthesis of existing datasets with experimental manipulations of idealized model microbial model communities in the laboratory. Shane aspires to develop a mechanistic and quantitative understanding of microbial communities and microbial evolution. He draws from many academic disciplines, including microbiology, ecology, evolution, computational genomics, biogeochemistry, and molecular biology to pursue his research questions.
Background:
- • Research Council of Finland Academy Research Fellow
- • Postdoctoral research University of Turku
- • Postdoctoral research Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- • Ph.D. in Oceanography from UCSD
- • B.A. in Chemistry from Earlham College
Milla Similä (she/her/hers); Doctoral researcher
Milla is a second year doctoral researcher in the Department of Biology at University of Turku. Her master’s thesis focused on bacterial coexistence under antibiotic stress. Her Ph.D. research interests center on microbial community ecology, with a particular focus on how microbial communities respond to environmental pressures and assemble within different ecosystems. Beyond community assembly, Milla is also fascinated by how microbes interact with one another and how these interactions shape the ecosystems they inhabit.
Currently, Milla is working with both synthetic and natural plant microbiomes, aiming to predict microbial community assembly and better understand how these communities are impacted by climate change.
Background:
- • M.Sc. in Physiology and Genetics (minor in statistics) from the University of Turku
Sanna Pausio (she/her/hers); Doctoral researcher
Sanna is a first year doctoral researcher in the Department of Biology at University of Turku co-supervised with Teppo Hiltunen. Stay tuned to learn more about her research!
Background:
- • M.Sc. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Turku
Iina Nieminen (she/her/hers); Doctoral researcher
Iina is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Helsinki co-supervised with Teppo Hiltunen.
Background:
- • M.Sc. University of Helsinki
Former members
Masters Students
Bachelors Students
- Nov 2020 - Sep 2021: Helene Helo, University of Turku (SLH co-supervisor)
- Nov 2020 - Sep 2021: Inga-Katariina Lampinen, University of Turku (SLH co-supervisor)
Collaborators
Here are some great people with whom we have ongoing collaborations!
- Chuliang Song, University of California, Los Angeles
- Anna O'Brien, University of New Hampshire
- Rogier Braakman, MIT
- Teppo Hiltunen, University of Turku
- Manu Tamminen, University of Turku