Evelina Sjöstedt

I currently lead the development of the Single Cell Resource within the Human Protein Atlas project, advancing our understanding of cell biology through comprehensive and integrated data analysis. My work focuses on profiling cell type-specific gene expression across human tissues, defining cell- and tissue-specific transcriptomes. Additionally, I work on comparative mammalian biology, identifying conserved and divergent expression patterns across tissues and cell types in humans, macaques, pig, and mouse.

With a special interest in Neuroscience, I delve into the regional variation and cellular specificity of gene expression in the brain. My research integrates transcriptomics with multiplex immunohistochemistry to map protein expression in diverse cell types. During my postgraduate work (2018–2020), I worked on the HPA Brain Atlas, and publication. This was followed by a second postdoctoral fellowship (2021–2024) at Harvard University, where I utilized volume electron microscopy to further uncover the complexity of the human brain. Projects from both postdocs are still ongoing.

One of my favorite research-related realizations is how the complexity of gene expression manifests at multiple levels. For instance, when comparing gene expression in the brain to peripheral tissues, numerous genes exhibit elevated expression in the brain. However, only a subset of these demonstrates regional variation, while many cell type markers—especially those specific to glial cells—are not even brain-elevated. This highlights the importance of approaching biological complexity from different perspectives and tailoring questions to uncover distinct layers of molecular organization.