My research is focused on gut microbiota and gut immune system. In particular, our interest is to understand how perturbations in gut microbiota link to autoimmunity and to the development of  type 1 (T1D) diabetes. I have a long tradition in studying aspects of lymphocyte trafficking, gut-related homing mechanisms, peripheral immune tolerance and T-cell activation mechanisms. In addition, my more recent interest is to promote and contribute to clinical studies related to my diagnostic work.
We currently investigate the role of locally induced chemokines in the initiation of lymphocyte accumulation into islets in NOD mice. As a parallel facet, we explore how gut dysbiosis disrupts peripheral tolerance mechanisms in pancreatic lymph node to find ways to interfere with this.
In a prospective study in infants (www.samitutkimus.fi), we use novel tools to study individual differences in enzymatic activities of gut microbes and their relation to the maturation of healthy microbiota.