- Sep 2025 - Aug 2026: Huiyu Chuai, Nanjing Agricultural University. China Scholarship Council Visiting Ph.D. student.
Current members
Our team is comprised postdoctoral and doctoral researchers, masters students, and advanced bachelor students. Interested in joining?
Shane L. Hogle (he/him/his); Principal investigator
Shane's research focuses on microbial community ecology, microbial evolution, and biogeochemistry. Shane aims to understand how microorganisms interact and evolve together, how microbial ecosystems change over time, and the consequences of these processes for ecosystem function. Work in his group links field observations and the synthesis of existing datasets with experimental manipulations of model microbial communities in the laboratory.
Background:
- • Associate Professor, Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University
- • Research Council of Finland Academy Research Fellow
- • Postdoctoral research, University of Turku
- • Postdoctoral research, MIT
- • Ph.D., Oceanography, UCSD
- • B.A., Chemistry, Earlham College
Milla Similä (she/her/hers); Doctoral researcher
Milla is working with both synthetic and natural plant microbiomes, aiming to predict microbial community assembly and better understand how these communities are impacted by the host and its environment.
Background:
- • M.Sc., Physiology and Genetics, University of Turku
Niina Smolander (she/her/hers); Postdoctoral fellow
Niina is working on a project looking at the evolution of pangenomes in marine picocyanobacteria.
Background:
- • Ph.D., Physiology and Genetics, University of Turku
- • M.Sc., Physiology and Genetics, University of Turku
Tuuli Korpinen (she/her/hers); Project researcher
Tuuli is a project researcher working on a little bit of everything, ranging from nematodes to plants!
Background:
- • M.Sc., Physiology and Genetics, University of Turku
Former members
Ph.D. Researchers
Masters Students
- Oct 2025 - May 2026: Tuuli Korpinen, University of Turku (SLH main supervisor). Now a Project researcher at UTU.
- May 2022 - Nov 2023: Milla Similä, University of Turku (SLH main supervisor). Now a Ph.D. student at UTU.
- Jan 2022 - Jun 2023: Inga-Katariina Aapalampi, University of Turku (SLH main supervisor). Now a Ph.D. student at UTU
- Nov 2021 - May 2023: Olli Pitkänen, University of Turku (SLH main supervisor). Now Chief Development Officer at PrecisionPhageU
- Mar 2021 - Jun 2022: Elizaveta Zakharova, University of Turku (SLH co-supervisor)
- Sep 2021 - Jun 2022: Enni Liinoja, University of Turku (SLH co-supervisor)
Bachelors Students
- Nov 2020 - Sep 2021: Helene Helo, University of Turku (SLH co-supervisor)
- Nov 2020 - Sep 2021: Inga-Katariina Lampinen, University of Turku (SLH co-supervisor)
Collaborators
Here are some great people with whom we have ongoing collaborations!
- Chuliang Song, University of California, Los Angeles
- Andrew Letten, Unviersity of Queensland, Australia
- Ting Liu, Nanjing Agricultural University, China
- Zhong Wei, Nanjing Agricultural University, China
- Rogier Braakman, MIT
- Manu Tamminen, University of Turku