Dr Pirjo Apaja

A/Prof Apaja is the Head of the Organelle Proteostasis Diseases Laboratory in South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.

I have endeavoured my research career to decipher how cells cope with Protein Homeostasis (Proteostasis) Stress in human diseases, and specifically how protein surveillance (protein quality control) systems adapt to changing conditions.

We are focusing on identifying key proteostasis networks and post-translational modifications in transport, recognition and disposal of membrane organelle/protein targets using endosomal-autophagy-lysosomal routes in neurodegenerative and -developmental diseases and cancers.

My laboratory combines omics and protein networks with biochemical and cell biological approaches in disease models.