Cell scientist to watch – Helene Knævelsrud

Helene is an associate professor at the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (University of Oslo, Norway) and project group leader at Department of Microbiology (Oslo University Hospital). Helene graduated in cellular biochemistry from ETH Zürich (Switzerland), followed by a PhD at the University of Oslo (Norway), under the supervision of Anne Simonsen, where she studied the role of PI3K and PI3P-binding proteins in autophagy. For her postdoctoral studies she moved to the Université de Montréal (Canada) where she worked with Marc Therrien, on small GTPases in haematopoiesis. In 2015, Helene returned to Norway, to join the lab of Professor Jorrit Enserink at Oslo University Hospital, and in 2023 she started her own group at the University of Oslo. We spoke to Helene over Zoom to hear more about her career, her advice on mentorship and her love for beer.