Overview
Background
I received PhD (with distinction) in 2014 from The Institute of Biotechnology at The University of Helsinki, Finland, studying membrane trafficking using advanced imaging techniques. In 2015, I relocated to The Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at The University of Queensland (UQ), Brisbane, Australia for postdoctoral training and changed my research field from basic cell biology to neuroscience and super-resolution imaging. I was awarded a 3-year Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016) and an ARC DECRA Award (2019) to study the role of a lipid modifying enzyme on neuronal function. In 2022, I became a UQ Amplify Fellow and Group Leader at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), UQ. My lab aims to understand two central biological questions: how lipid metabolism in the brain supports neuronal energy metabolism, cognition, learning and memory, and how bidirectional modulation of neuronal lipid functions can be used as a therapeutic strategy for inherited neurodevelopmental disorders, neuroparalytic disorders caused by bacterial toxins and infectious diseases cause by neurotropic and respiratory viruses.
Availability
- Dr Merja Joensuu is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Helsinki*
Research interests
-
Neuronal Fatty Acid Energy Metabolism
Neuronal fatty acid metabolism and lipid-derived energy pathways in brain function and disease. My research investigates how fatty acids support neuronal energy production and function. I discovered a Ddhd2-regulated pathway that supplies saturated fatty acids for mitochondrial ATP generation, challenging the glucose-centric view of brain metabolism. My work integrates advanced imaging, lipidomics, and metabolic profiling to define lipid-energy coupling in neurons and identify therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative and genetic neurological disorders.
-
Protein Lipidation in Neuronal Function and Disease
Neuronal protein lipidation and membrane targeting mechanisms in brain function and disease. My research examines how protein lipidation regulates neuronal membrane association, trafficking, and homestasis. I study co- and post-translational lipid modifications such as N-myristoylation and S-palmitoylation pathways, and their roles in membrane trafficking, synaptic function and neurodegeneration. Using advanced imaging and quantitative analysis, my work defines how dysregulated protein lipidation contributes to neurological diseases and reveals new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
-
Virus–host interactions and host-directed antiviral strategies in neurological and respiratory infections
My research investigates how viruses hijack host lipid metabolism and membrane trafficking pathways to enable replication and spread. I focus on defining host lipidation and metabolic pathways required for viral infection, particularly in respiratory and neuronal systems. Using advanced imaging, multi-omics, and functional assays, my work aims to identify host-directed antiviral targets that reduce viral replication and limit infection-associated tissue damage.
Research impacts
My laboratory focuses on how lipids and proteins affect cellular and neuronal membrane trafficking and energy metabolism, and how neurotoxins and viruses exploit cellular endocytic machinery to gain access into cells. We use in vitro cell and primary neuron cultures as our main model system, allowing us to address the effects of pharmacological perturbations and genetic disease conditions on cellular functions. My team uses a combination of imaging techniques, including electron microscopy, confocal imaging and live-cell super-resolution microscopy, as well as molecular approaches, to understand how cells function in health and disease, which is critical for discovering novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of disease, viral infections and neurointoxication pathologies.
Works
Search Professor Merja Joensuu’s works on UQ eSpace
2007
Journal Article
Endoplasmic reticulum remains continuous and undergoes sheet-to-tubule transformation during cell division in mammalian cells
Puhka, Maija, Vihinen, Helena, Joensuu, Merja and Jokitalo, Eija (2007). Endoplasmic reticulum remains continuous and undergoes sheet-to-tubule transformation during cell division in mammalian cells. Journal of Cell Biology, 179 (5), 895-909. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200705112
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Merja Joensuu is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Secretory pathway membrane trafficking and lipid metabolism in health and disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Hannah Leeson
-
Doctor Philosophy
Mechanisms of RGD-Functionalized Nanomaterials in Tumor Cell Biology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Wenyi Gu, Professor Michael Monteiro
Completed supervision
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Bidirectional modulation of cellular saturated fatty acids as potential therapeutics for neurological conditions and viral infections
Principal Advisor
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Identifying Key Changes in Brain Free Fatty Acids Associated with Memory in Health, Ageing and Disease: A Mechanistic Study
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Tristan Wallis, Professor Frederic Meunier
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Characterization and role of lateral trapping and nanocluster organization of the endocytic machinery
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Frederic Meunier
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Merja Joensuu directly for media enquiries about:
- Neuronal energy metabolism
Need help?
For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team: