11.3.2025
The InFLAMES Flagship welcomes two new visiting professors
Dr. Anna Bigas and Professor Ricardo Henriques will join the InFLAMES Flagship as visiting professors and lend their expertise to strengthen the Turku-based research and innovation endeavor.
The InFLAMES Flagship (Innovation Ecosystem Based on the Immune System) is an immunology-based research and innovation cluster funded by the Research Council of Finland. The flagship is a joint effort of Åbo Akademi University and the University of Turku and brings together world-class experts in research, technology and industry to develop therapy and diagnostics. The visiting professors will strengthen the international network and are an important piece in mediating knowledge transfer from the world’s top institutions and companies to the flagship. The two new visiting professors are prominent scientists in their respective fields.
Anna Bigas, unlocking the secrets of stem cells to conquer cancer
Anna Bigas is a group leader at Hospital del Mar Research Institute, the deputy director of preclinical research at Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, and the scientific director of CIBERONC, a virtual center for collaborative oncology research (Spain). Her research group studies blood cell-producing stem cells and the process of leukaemia development and has revealed central details on cell signalling related to stem cell behaviour and blood cancer progression.
– Anna’s expertise in hematopoietic stem cells and leukemogenesis will enhance our capacity for cutting-edge discoveries regarding blood stem cells and blood-related disorders as well as foster collaborative opportunities, says InFLAMES group leader, Professor Cecilia Sahlgren.
Ricardo Henriques, on an interdisciplinary quest to study cell biology and host-pathogen interactions
Ricardo Henriques is a principal investigator at Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier (ITQB NOVA, Portugal), where he leads an interdisciplinary research group exploring host-pathogen interactions. Originally trained as a particle physicist, his interest in biological physics pushed him into pioneering super‐resolution microscopy – developing imaging technologies that reveal cellular and viral structures with unprecedented resolution. Today, his team combines state‐of‐the‐art microscopy with artificial intelligence and computational biophysics to create innovative tools that decode cellular mechanisms at the nanoscale. Ricardo has also spearheaded the development of widely adopted open‐source tools, empowering researchers worldwide to advance life sciences research.
– Ricardo’s multidisciplinary expertise, technological vision, and successful industry collaborations will significantly strengthen our local community, says InFLAMES group leader, Associate Professor Guillaume Jacquemet.
InFLAMES Flagship is a joint initiative of University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University. The goal of the Flagship is to integrate the immunological and immunology-related research activities to develop and exploit new diagnostic and therapeutic tools for personalised medicine.