Sakari Vanharanta MD, PhD

Dr Sakari Vanharanta and his team aim to understand exactly how a specific protein drives the development and progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma in order to identify new ways to treat the disease. Dr Vanharanta and his team are studying the molecular mechanisms that drive the growth and progression of ccRCC - the first step in identifying new ways to treat this lethal disease. The researchers hope that their discoveries will aid the future development of new therapeutic interventions that could prevent the development of metastatic disease in ccRCC.

Dr Sakari Vanharanta's first encounter with science came in the form of a popular science book on evolution, which sparked an interest in genetics. Today, his experiments at the University of Helsinki try to understand the underlying mechanisms of cancer and why it spreads. Outside of the lab, Dr Vanharanta is a busy dad of two - if he has any spare time, he enjoys listening to music and playing the saxophone.