Irma Thesleff is a developmental biologist and Professor Emerita at the University of Helsinki known for her research on the development of mammalian organs, especially tooth development.[2][3]

Irma Paula Nathalia Thesleff
Born
Irma Paula Nathalia née Saxén

Helsinki, Finland[1]
Scientific career
FieldsDevelopmental biology
InstitutionsUniversity of Helsinki
ThesisEtiological variables in oral clefts (1975)
Doctoral studentsJukka Jernvall

Education and career edit

Thesleff received a degree in dentistry from University of Helsinki in 1972.[4] For research her uncle, the developmental biologist Lauri Saxén [fi], suggested she work on developmental biology of the mouth or the teeth because of her familiarity with the topic from her dentistry degree.[5] She subsequently earned her Doctor of Odontology from the University of Helsinki in 1975 with research on cleft lip and palate.[6] From 1976 until 1978, Thesleff was a visiting associate at the National Institute of Dental Research in Bethesda, Maryland. She returned to Finland, and served as an instructor at the University of Finland from 1979 until 1983, at which point she became a scientist at the Academy of Finland until 1990. In 1990 she was named professor in the department of pedodontics and orthodontics at the University of Helsinki.[4]

She has served as the president of the European Orthodontic Society in 2009,[7] and as the president of the Finnish Society for Developmental Biology.

Research edit

Thesleff's work is in mammalian organs, and she is best known for studies on tissue interactions regulating tooth formation. This research includes work on the development of teeth from dental stem cells and includes investigations into congenital dental defects.

Selected publications edit

  • Vainio, Seppo; Karavanova, Irina; Jowett, Adrian; Thesleff, Irma (1993). "Identification of BMP-4 as a signal mediating secondary induction between epithelial and mesenchymal tissues during early tooth development". Cell. 75 (1): 45–58. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(05)80083-2. PMID 8104708. S2CID 46803201.
  • Thesleff, Irma (2003-05-01). "Epithelial-mesenchymal signalling regulating tooth morphogenesis". Journal of Cell Science. 116 (9): 1647–1648. doi:10.1242/jcs.00410. ISSN 0021-9533. PMID 12665545.
  • Jernvall, Jukka; Thesleff, Irma (2000). "Reiterative signaling and patterning during mammalian tooth morphogenesis". Mechanisms of Development. 92 (1): 19–29. doi:10.1016/S0925-4773(99)00322-6. PMID 10704885.

Awards and honors edit

Thesleff was named a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization in 2000,[8] an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2008,[9] and elected member of the United States National Academy of Medicine in 2014,[10] an Academician of Science by the Academy of Finland in 2014,[11] and a Foreign Associate of the United States' National Academy of Sciences in 2017.[12]

Thesleff received the Anders Jahre's award for medical research from University of Oslo in 1999.[13] In 2008, she received the Isaac Shour Memorial Award from the International Association for Dental Research.[14] She has received honorary doctorates from the University of Göteborg, University of Copenhagen, McGill University, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, University of Debrecen, University of Oslo, and Karolinska Institutet.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ "Member Directory: Irma Thesleff". National Academy of Sciences.
  2. ^ "Academician Irma Thesleff - Academy of Finland". www.aka.fi. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  3. ^ "How to build a tooth? Developmental biology is revealing the instructions - Den norske tannlegeforenings Tidende". www.tannlegetidende.no. July 2004. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  4. ^ a b c "CV Thesleff" (PDF). Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Donner, Kristian (2014). "Between hard rock and open space: Constraints and freedom of Finnish paleontology". Annales Zoologici Fennici. 51 (1/2): 2–16. doi:10.5735/086.051.0202. ISSN 0003-455X. JSTOR 23737185. S2CID 85415863.
  6. ^ Saxén, Irma (1975). Etiological variables in oral clefts (Thesis) (in undetermined language). OCLC 256914046.
  7. ^ "Presidents". European Orthodontic Society. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  8. ^ "Find people in the EMBO Communities". people.embo.org. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  9. ^ "Historic Fellows | American Association for the Advancement of Science". www.aaas.org. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  10. ^ "National Academy of Medicine - Irma Thesleff". Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  11. ^ "Academicians of Science - Academy of Finland". www.aka.fi. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  12. ^ "Member Directory: Irma Thesleff". National Academy of Sciences.
  13. ^ brann, Kontakt oss Kontaktpunkter UiO Adresse Universitetet i Oslo Boks 1072 Blindern 0316 Oslo Nødnummer Ved; Ring 22 85 66 66, Ulykker Og Alvorlige Hendelser. "Tidligere vinnere av Anders Jahres medisinske priser - Universitetet i Oslo". www.uio.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2021-08-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Isaac Schour Memorial Award, IADR". University of Helsinki. Retrieved 2021-08-25.

External links edit