Kirsi Rilla Editor

Kirsi Rilla, PhD, is a group leader at the Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland. She received her M.Sc. degree in cell biology from the University of Jyväskylä (1998). Her Ph.D. project in the Tammi research group was focused on intracellular trafficking of hyaluronan synthases and regulation of their activity (2006). The thesis work led to the discovery of hyaluronan-dependent filopodia that act as hyaluronan factories. Especially intriguing is her finding that those filopodia act as platforms for extracellular vesicle shedding. Dr Rilla is experienced on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of cancer, extracellular matrix, hyaluronan and the biology of extracellular vesicles. During her research career, she has specifically focused on modern in vitro imaging techniques. Her current project is focused on extracellular vesicles, mechanism contributing to regulation of their secretion, interaction and effects on target cells and utilization of EVs as specific carriers of therapy.