Dr. Leona Gilbert

Hi! I am Dr. Leona Gilbert, co-founder and CEO of Te?ted Oy (Tezted).

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I have co-founded Tezted with Kunal Garg (Chief Technology Officer) in 2016 as a university spinoff company. Our goal was to help patients with complex diseases (e.g., Lyme disease) to get tested reliably, so they could get timely treatment and recover quicker. 

 

I was born in Canada and moved to Finland for love. I am a Docent of Cell and Molecular Biology and I have over 20 years of experience in research-driven initiatives that provided valuable tools for patients. I have a doctorate in biotechnology and a very long experience in bio-innovation and bio-business and have supervised numerous PhD, MSc and BSc students.

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My various peer-reviewed articles span turning research results into a translational value with developing novel delivery vectors as well as diagnostic lab-on-chip platforms. My publications show the thorough investigation of how a common virus or bacterium can contribute to autoimmune diseases, and demonstrate a multi-disciplinary background and collaborative efforts between clinicians, microbiologists, diagnostic developers, nano-scientists, physicists and engineers, and especially patients.

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I strive so that my research initiatives into complete diagnostic platforms and clinical profiling of patients for tick-borne and autoimmune diseases will lead to a better understanding of how chronic conditions could be established with infectious pathogens.
 

I don't have much free time, but try to use it well! I enjoy sailing, snorkeling, and reading a great book, and I especially find it invigorating and relaxing to spend time in the forest, foraging for mushrooms and berries.