Anna Falk, Head of Lund University’s Center for Advanced Therapies (LU-ATMP) and principal researcher of the Department of Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet (KI) shares insights into her research, her multi-faceted job, and her vision for the future of neuroscience.

Anna Falk is a molecular biologist with a PhD in neural stem cells and adult neurogenesis. During her postdoctoral research she specialized in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and human neural cells. She is passionate about advancing her research and aims to propel the field of cell therapy forward, while also contributing to Sweden’s progress in this area.

iPS cells

Anna Falk focuses on using iPS cells, derived from adult cells such as skin or blood, which are reprogrammed to be pluripotent. These cells possess exceptional properties, being immortal and capable of extensive expansion, with the potential to differentiate into any human cell type.

One line of her research is based on using the iPS cells for deriving models of the human brain in order to study its development and the causes of neurodevelopmental or neuropsychiatric disorders.

“The researchers start with small skin cells and reverse their development in the lab. They cultivate stem cells and then specialize them into brain or neural cells. They use healthy donor samples to simulate regular brain development, and samples from donors with conditions like autism to investigate nerve cell development under those circumstances,” Falk explains. “We create brain models in 3D, so mini-brains (organoids) are floating around.”

The other line of her research involves using iPS cells as an unlimited source material to develop cell therapy for diseases affecting the brain and spinal cord.

It’s possible to make dopamine-producing neurons that you can transplant into Parkinson’s disease patients, or make pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin for transplantation into diabetes patients.”

“It’s possible to make dopamine-producing neurons that you can transplant into Parkinson’s disease patients, or make pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin for transplantation into diabetes patients,” she says.

iPS cells (40x magnification) stained using immuno-fluorescense with cell nuclei (green) and filaments (red). It is possible to at two places see cells dividing and at one place you can see the duplicated chromosomes separating into two new daughter cells. These iPS cells are the starting cell type for both cell models of the brain and cell therapy. Photo: Anna Falk’s Group.

Many different roles

Anna Falk divides her time between Lund and Stockholm. On certain days, she works from home, attending digital lab meetings, while also traveling to KI to provide guidance and supervision to individuals there.

I’m working a lot on delegating.”

“Balancing so many different roles is challenging and complex, but I am quite good at focusing and at avoiding multi-tasking,” she says. “I’m working a lot on delegating. It’s a process of transferring my knowledge to another person and then empowering them to take on responsibilities. Something that I’m learning.”

Anna has also invested significant efforts in building research infrastructure. Upon establishing her lab, she initiated and led core facilities, which play a crucial role in supporting research by providing access to instruments, technologies, and services.

As the director of LU-ATMP, she, along with the co-director, has focused on bridging the translational gap from research bench to hospital, facilitating the development of cell therapy or gene therapy products. They are working to establish a robust support structure for clinical translation, innovation, and the commercialization path.

Cultivating work enjoyment

Anna Falk is certain that enjoying one’s job brings collaboration and positive results.

“I do this because it’s such fun. I think it’s fine to put in a lot of your mental capacity, time, and energy to do fun things. Also having such diverse work makes my job more attractive and enjoyable,” Falk says.

I like it when people are engaged, inspired and creative.”

“I work with people that think similarly, so you get a really nice type of energy. People collaborate, they want to help each other. They see possibilities instead of hurdles. It’s a complex job, but they find solutions. I think that is very nice. I like it when people are engaged, inspired and creative,” she adds,

Falk’s vision

Anna Falk also has an ambitious mind and she is optimistic about the future of research. “I’d like to push the field of cell therapy forward. I’d like to contribute as much as I can to Sweden moving forward in this field,” she says.

I’d like to propel the collaboration of the ecosystem composed of universities versus hospitals, incubators, innovation, and so on, and help accelerate getting cell and gene therapy to patients, while also decreasing the price of it. A key to this is to stop working sequentially and work interactively.”

“I’d like to propel the collaboration of the ecosystem composed of universities versus hospitals, incubators, innovation, and so on, and help accelerate getting cell and gene therapy to patients, while also decreasing the price of it. A key to this is to stop working sequentially and work interactively,” she continues.

She envisions a future where research may cure currently incurable diseases like diabetes, potentially eliminating the need for lifelong treatments through advancements in gene therapy.

In the future, we may be able to treat more complex diseases where multiple cell types are affected, allowing the replacement of several cell types rather than just one.”

“In cell and gene therapy you can correct genes, and if you have the correct gene, then you are kind of cured. I also think the problem is to protect transplanted cells because the body may try to eliminate them,” she says. “In the future, we may be able to treat more complex diseases where multiple cell types are affected, allowing the replacement of several cell types rather than just one.”

Featured photo of Anna Falk: Tove Smeds/Lund University

About the Author

Paula Pérez González-Anguiano, M.Sc. in Scientific, Medical and Environmental Communication, is a Science Journalist and Illustrator based in Barcelona, Spain.