Sanna Käkönen, PhD, Adjunct Professor
Founder, CSO
While preparing her PhD thesis in Molecular Biotechnology and In Vitro Diagnostics between 1993-1999, Dr. Sanna-Maria Käkönen held various research assistant, teaching and scientist positions at Division of Biotechnology, University of Turku. Following her two-year postdoctoral position as a Research Fellow at the University of Texas Health Science Center, she spent one year as an Assistant Professor at the same institution continuing her work on molecular mechanisms, animal models and imaging of cancer metastases. After her academic career Sanna continued her work in cancer biology and cancer drug development for over a decade in the international pharmaceutical industry, first with Schering (later Bayer) in Berlin and later with Amgen, before finally founding Aurexel Consulting in 2012. Expert in translational research
• Over 20 years of experience of international research projects in drug and biomarker discovery and development for pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies
• Early and translational research project management in oncology drug development
• Evaluation of new targets and compounds, diagnostic methods and biomarkers available for in-‐licensing in oncology
• Preclinical in vivo imaging techniques and biomarker research, In vivo and in vitro models of cancer and bone diseases
• Feasibility evaluations and landscape analyses for clinical trials in oncology
• Collaboration with academic groups and participation in international networks
• Working as a facilitator between contract research organization or academic groups and diagnostic/biotech/pharma companies in diverse type of projects
• Scientific counseling to clinicians and nurses on disease and therapy mechanisms in oncology
• Successful track record of key customer relationship management.
Sanna’s personal LinkedIn page.
Click here for scientific publications by Sanna Kakonen.