Aki Manninen

Aki Manninen (ORCID: 0000-0002-6263-8101) is Professor of Cell Biology and Dean of the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the University of Oulu. His laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms by which cell–matrix interactions regulate cellular plasticity, chromatin organization, and tissue architecture, with a particular emphasis on prostate cancer progression and the role of integrins as key extracellular matrix receptors. His work has revealed novel functions of integrin-mediated signaling in controlling gene regulatory networks that govern epithelial tissue organization and prostate cancer progression.

To address these questions, his group develops and applies advanced cell culture models, genome engineering approaches for the generation of isogenic cell systems, multi-omics technologies, and patient-derived prostate cancer organoids. By integrating cell biology, genomics, and mechanobiology, his research seeks to uncover how microenvironmental signals drive tumor evolution and therapeutic resistance, with the ultimate goal of translating these insights into improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.