Magdalini Lourda - new Docent in Immunology in the Medical Area
Congratulations Magdalini Lourda at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, who was appointed as Docent in Immunology in the Medical Area at the Docent Committee meeting on August 31, 2026.
Congratulations! What does this appointment mean to you?
"Thank you! I am very happy and honoured by the appointment. For me, becoming a Docent is an important milestone and a recognition of my contributions to research, teaching and supervision over the years at KI. It also feels like an important step towards establishing my own independent research group."
What do you hope to achieve in your new role as Associate Professor?
"I hope to continue building my research programme in immunology, while contributing more broadly to research and education at KI. Scientifically, my long-term goal is to better understand how innate immune cells contribute to human disease and to translate these findings into biomarkers and, ultimately, new therapeutic strategies. I also look forward to supporting young researchers and contributing to a stimulating and collaborative research environment."
What projects are you currently working on?
"My research focuses primarily on innate immunity and, in particular, on the biology and functional diversity of granulocytes and mononuclear phagocytes in human disease. One major area is psoriasis, where we are investigating how neutrophils, together with other immune cells, contribute to different types and stages of the disease and whether early immune signatures can help predict long-term outcomes. In addition, we are studying Langerhans cell histiocytosis, aiming to elucidate the mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in these patients. Our work also extends to viral infections, where we explore how immune cell responses relate to disease severity and persistent immune dysfunction. Across these projects, we combine high-dimensional single-cell analyses of patient samples with functional experiments, multi-omics and advanced tissue and cellular models, with the aim of translating mechanistic findings into clinically useful knowledge."
How did you celebrate?
"I haven’t planned anything special yet, but I will definitely take the opportunity to celebrate this milestone with my group and my family."