Saara Laitinen
R&D manager

Finnish Red Cross Blood Service

Research line: Cell, Nano

Role in project: PI in Therapeutic cell derived EVs, FRC Blood Service


I am a PI, Senior researcher for applied biomedical innovations and head of the Cell Laboratory in Research Department. My background is in membrane metabolism and lipidomics, further regulating vesicular trafficking. My topic in FRCBS has been in therapeutic potential of adult stem cells and blood cells. Especial interest focus has been in extracellular vesicles (EV) in mesenchymal stromal cell functionality and importance of fatty acid composition of the expansion milieu in production of these cells. Resent years I have investigated red blood cell and platelet derived EVs and currently leading the National Consortium EVE – Extracellular Vesicle Ecosystem for the Development of Theranostic Platform. Assistant editor in Journal of Extracellular Vesicles