Sini Skarp

Sini Skarp is postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Risto Kerkelä group. Her research focuses on studying the molecular and genetic background of myocardial fibrosis and heart failure. Main aims of the research are identifying genetic variants predisposing to fibrosis and sudden cardiac death and studying the role miRNAs in myocardial fibrosis. The key methods include miRNA and mRNA sequencing and whole exome sequencing as well as in vitro studies using cardiac fibroblasts, endothelial cells and cardiomyocytes. The work is part of a Biocenter Oulu project lead by Professors Risto Kerkelä and Juhani Junttila (https://www.oulu.fi/university/focusarea/lifelong-health/spearhead-proj…).

In her Ph.D. thesis Sini studied the genetics of musculoskeletal diseases. The main focus of her research was investigating the rare genetic variation predisposing to musculoskeletal diseases using whole exome sequencing and in vitro studies. She also has experience of genome-wide association studies and cDNA microarray data analysis.