Lab members

Our lab is focused on developmental principles governing organ differentiation and morphogenesis, and harnessing this knowledge for engineered regeneration or therapy.

After defending her PhD in Developmental Neuroscience in 2009 with Professor Ernest Arenas, Emma R Andersson pursued postdoctoral studies with Professor Urban Lendahl at the Karolinska Institutet, where her work focused on the role of Notch signaling in development and disease of the nervous system and in the liver. In order to devise a method to rapidly manipulate gene expression in the developing embryonic nervous system and other organ systems, she performed guest research in the laboratory of Professor Elaine Fuchs (Rockefeller University, New York, USA) to further develop the technique of ultrasound-guided in utero microinjection of lentivirus. This technique was originally developed to target developing skin, but the Andersson lab has now established protocols which allow targeting of several organ systems during development, including the nervous, gastric and respiratory systems. In 2017, thanks to the EASL Mentorship Award, Dr Andersson spent time at Yale Medical School during a mini-sabbatical with Professor Maria Strazzabosco. Now the lab combines molecular, developmental, and computational biology to address fundamental mechanisms of development of relevance to human health.

Johan joined the lab as a PhD student in June 2025 to investigate the developing landscape of the brain. He developed a passion for neuroscience and developmental biology during his Master’s studies in Neurochemistry with Molecular Neurobiology at Stockholm University, Sweden. Johan conducted his Master’s thesis at the Karolinska Institutet in the lab of Dr. Erik Sundström, where he explored the effects of familial Alzheimer’s disease mutations on the developing mouse brain using omics and traditional approaches. This experience deepened his interest in understanding brain development at the molecular level. As a PhD student in the lab, Johan aims to combine developmental biology and neuroscience to map and trace the dynamic processes shaping the brain.

Bettina Semsch was born in Heidelberg, Germany. In 2009 she moved to Sweden and became animal technician and team leader at the production unit KM-W and INFINIGENE.

Bettina is an expert in embryo transfer, cryopreservation, vasectomy, microinjection, anesthesia, blood sampling and much more.

During her free time, Bettina likes to meet friends, cook, read, go to the movies, travel and she is absolutely fascinated by astronomy & astrophotography. She likes to look at planets, stars and galaxies through her telescope. On her last visit in Germany she met the German Astronaut Alexander Gerst after his lecture and it was such a great experience to talk to him. Bettina’s best moment was a parabolic flight where she was weightless for over 30 minutes – she really wants to do that again as soon as possible!

I joined the Andersson Lab in May 2025 to pursue my doctoral studies in developmental biology. My research focuses on in utero lineage tracing. I am especially interested in understanding how progenitor cells give rise to the immune system, and how these early processes influence tissue structure and function later in life. My work includes genetic labeling, tissue dissection, and integration of spatial and single-cell transcriptomic data.

Before starting my PhD, I worked as a teacher and researcher for more than a decade. I hold a degree in biology and pedagogy education and spent years designing science programs and teaching in secondary schools. In 2022, I moved to Sweden to shift my focus fully toward biomedical research. I am motivated by clear, well-designed experiments and the opportunity to connect molecular events with larger biological patterns.

I value careful, evidence-based work and believe in the importance of both creativity and structure in science. I am especially drawn to multidisciplinary projects that combine developmental biology, immunology, and bioinformatics. Outside the lab, I enjoy dancing, baking, and spending time in nature. I find energy in movement, and creative expression.

I joined the Andersson Lab in May 2025 to pursue my doctoral studies in developmental biology. My research focuses on in utero lineage tracing. I am especially interested in understanding how progenitor cells give rise to the immune system, and how these early processes influence tissue structure and function later in life. My work includes genetic labeling, tissue dissection, and integration of spatial and single-cell transcriptomic data.

Before starting my PhD, I worked as a teacher and researcher for more than a decade. I hold a degree in biology and pedagogy education and spent years designing science programs and teaching in secondary schools. In 2022, I moved to Sweden to shift my focus fully toward biomedical research. I am motivated by clear, well-designed experiments and the opportunity to connect molecular events with larger biological patterns.

I value careful, evidence-based work and believe in the importance of both creativity and structure in science. I am especially drawn to multidisciplinary projects that combine developmental biology, immunology, and bioinformatics. Outside the lab, I enjoy dancing, baking, and spending time in nature. I find energy in movement, and creative expression.

Elisabeth joined the lab as a postdoc in June 2021 to investigate the mechanisms controlling bile duct morphogenesis in the context of Alagille syndrome. Elisabeth developed a passion for the mysteries of developmental biology during an Erasmus exchange as part of her bachelor’s studies at Lund University, Sweden. After a research experience at Tsinghua University (Beijing, China) where she studied colon cancer as part of her Master’s thesis, Elisabeth decided to pursue a PhD in Biomedical Sciences in the lab of Dr. Georg Halder (VIB – KULeuven, Belgium). She investigated the role of Hippo signaling in liver regeneration and cancer, supported by a Doctoral fellowship from the Flemish Research Foundation (FWO). Her PhD work triggered her interest in the highly organized and beautiful structure of the biliary tree. Since obtaining her PhD in 2020, Elisabeth aims to continue investigating the development of the biliary system and its interactions with surrounding systems using 3D visualization methods and loss of function models.

Paulina joined the lab in March 2021 to investigate gene expression regulation by microRNAs, in liver development and liver-associated disorders. This project is a collaboration with the Katja Petzold Lab. She obtained her PhD in 2018 in the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences in Poznan. During her PhD she identified the role of secondary structure of p53 mRNA in the translation initiation process. That time also chanelled her interests towards manipulation the gene expression using short non-coding RNAs such as siRNA, ASO and microRNA. Now, Paulina aims to continue exploring the microRNAs as potential therapeutic tools to design precision therapy of liver disorders and cancer.