Dr Sofia Ahola

Dr Sofia Ahola

Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research
Assistant Professor

Contact details

Address
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr. Sofia Ahola is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Metabolism and Systems Science at the College of Medicine and Health. Sofia Ahola’s research group focuses on unravelling molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial diseases and their tissue specific fingerprints. We are especially interested in studying the stress responses and metabolic changes upon mitochondrial dysfunction and the triggers of different cell death pathways such as ferroptosis.

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7552-4843

Qualifications

  • PhD in Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland (2014)
  • MSc in Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland (2008)

Research

My research is focused in studying mitochondrial metabolism and stress signaling in mitochondrial diseases. I am particularly interested how mitochodnrial metabolic changes contribute to ferroptosis, an iron dependent cell death.

Other activities

Sofia Ahola paints and draws scientific illustrations and some of her work is shown in her webpage; www.sofiaahola.com 

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Ahola, S, Pazurek, LA, Mayer, F, Lampe, P, Hermans, S, Becker, L, Amarie, OV, Fuchs, H, Gailus-Durner, V, Angelis, MHD, Riedel, D, Nolte, H & Langer, T 2024, 'Opa1 processing is dispensable in mouse development but is protective in mitochondrial cardiomyopathy', Science Advances, vol. 10, no. 31, eadp0443. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp0443

Rivera-Mejías, P, Narbona-Pérez, ÁJ, Hasberg, L, Kroczek, L, Bahat, A, Lawo, S, Folz-Donahue, K, Schumacher, A-L, Ahola, S, Mayer, FC, Giavalisco, P, Nolte, H, Lavandero, S & Langer, T 2023, 'The mitochondrial protease OMA1 acts as a metabolic safeguard upon nuclear DNA damage', Cell Reports, vol. 42, no. 4, 112332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112332

Ahola, S, Rivera mejías, P, Hermans, S, Chandragiri, S, Giavalisco, P, Nolte, H & Langer, T 2022, 'OMA1-mediated integrated stress response protects against ferroptosis in mitochondrial cardiomyopathy', Cell Metabolism, vol. 34, no. 11, pp. 1875-1891.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2022.08.017

Sprenger, HG, Wani, G, Hesseling, A, König, T, Patron, M, MacVicar, T, Ahola, S, Wai, T, Barth, E, Rugarli, EI, Bergami, M & Langer, T 2019, 'Loss of the mitochondrial iii-AAA protease YME1L leads to ocular dysfunction and spinal axonopathy.', EMBO Molecular Medicine. https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.201809288

Buzkova, J, Nikkanen, J, Ahola, S, Hakonen, AH, Sevastianova, K, Hovinen, T, Yki-Järvinen, H, Pietiläinen, K, Lönnqvist, T, Velagapudi, V, Carroll, C & Suomalainen, A 2018, 'Metabolomes of mitochondrial diseases and inclusion body myositis patients: treatment targets and biomarkers.', EMBO Molecular Medicine. https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.201809091

Nikkanen, J, Forsström, S, Euro, L, Paetau, I, Kohnz, RA, Wang, L, Chilov, D, Viinamäki, J, Roivainen, A, Marjamäki, P, Liljenbäck, H, Ahola, S, Buzkova, J & Suomalainen, A 2016, 'Mitochondrial DNA Replication Defects Disturb Cellular dNTP Pools and Remodel One-Carbon Metabolism.', Cell Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2016.01.019

Ahola, S, Auranen, M, Isohanni, P, Niemisalo, S, Urho, N, Buzkova, J, Velagapudi, V, Lundbom, N, Hakkarainen, A, Muurinen, T, Piirilä, P, Pietiläinen, KH & Suomalainen, A 2016, 'Modified Atkins diet induces subacute selective ragged-red-fiber lysis in mitochondrial myopathy patients.', EMBO Molecular Medicine. https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.201606592

Ahlqvist, KJ, Leoncini, S, Pecorelli, A, Wortmann, SB, Ahola, S, Forsström, S, Guerranti, R, De, FC, Smeitink, J, Ciccoli, L, Hämäläinen, RH & Suomalainen, A 2015, 'MtDNA mutagenesis impairs elimination of mitochondria during erythroid maturation leading to enhanced erythrocyte destruction.', Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7494

Ahola, S, Isohanni, P, Euro, L, Brilhante, V, Palotie, A, Pihko, H, Lönnqvist, T, Lehtonen, T, Laine, J, Tyynismaa, H & Suomalainen, A 2014, 'Mitochondrial EFTs defects in juvenile-onset Leigh disease, ataxia, neuropathy, and optic atrophy.', Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000000716

Guse, K, Suzuki, M, Sule, G, Bertin, TK, Tyynismaa, H, Ahola-Erkkilä, S, Palmer, D, Suomalainen, A, Ng, P, Cerullo, V, Hemminki, A & Lee, B 2012, 'Capsid-modified adenoviral vectors for improved muscle-directed gene therapy', Human Gene Therapy, vol. 23, no. 10, pp. 1065-1070. https://doi.org/10.1089/hum.2012.003

Tyynismaa, H, Sun, R, Ahola-Erkkilä, S, Almusa, H, Pöyhönen, R, Korpela, M, Honkaniemi, J, Isohanni, P, Paetau, A, Wang, L & Suomalainen, A 2012, 'Thymidine kinase 2 mutations in autosomal recessive progressive external ophthalmoplegia with multiple mitochondrial DNA deletions', Human Molecular Genetics, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 66-75. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddr438

Ahola, SA-E, Carroll, CJ, Peltola-Mjösund, K, Tulkki, V, Mattila, I, Seppänen-Laakso, T, Orešič, M, Tyynismaa, H & Suomalainen, A 2010, 'Ketogenic diet slows down mitochondrial myopathy progression in mice', Human Molecular Genetics, vol. 19, no. 10, pp. 1974–1984. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddq076

Editorial

Ahola, S 2024, 'Editorial: Mitochondrial bioenergetics and metabolism: implication for human health and disease', Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences, vol. 11, 1468758. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2024.1468758

Other contribution

Ahola, S, Langer, T & MacVicar, T 2019, Mitochondrial Proteolysis and Metabolic Control.. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a033936

Review article

Ahola, S & Langer, T 2024, 'Ferroptosis in mitochondrial cardiomyopathy', Trends in Cell Biology, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 150-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2023.06.002

View all publications in research portal