Dr. Minna Liisa Anko

Biography

Minni (Minna-Liisa) Anko heads the Functional RNAomics laboratory, holding a joint appointment at the Centre of Reproductive Health and the Centre for Cancer Research. Minni obtained her PhD from Åbo Akademi University, Finland, and has undergone post-doctoral fellowships at the Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany, supported by the Sigrid Juselius Foundation. After moving to Australia in 2011, she received the Jane Aatos Erkko Foundation Fellowship and worked as a visiting scientist at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute at Monash University. Minni continued her research as a senior research fellow at the Walter Eliza Hall Institute from 2012 to 2013, establishing her independent laboratory at Monash University in 2014 before relocating to Hudson Institute in 2018. The Functional RNAomics laboratory investigates gene regulation and RNA processing, combining both wet and dry lab approaches. The team aims to crack the RNA code in cells by investigating RNA binding proteins that tune the gene expression output types of stem cells and their early development into specialized cell types. Importantly, the research seeks to further understand the underlying mechanisms of RNA regulation to gain critical insights into the aberrations of RNA machinery that result in genetic disorders and cancer. Minni is also a passionate ambassador for RNA research, emphasizing its significance for human health and actively participates in RNA biology through her representation of RNAoz, a special interest group in Australia.

Research Interests

Experience