Professor Johanna Myllyharju is an expert on the key enzymes regulating hypoxia response and extracellular matrix synthesis. Oxygen and extracellular matrix homeostases are vital for normal functioning of cells and tissues, and disturbances in their balance are associated with many common diseases. Therefore, detailed information on these enzymes is essential for understanding their molecular mechanisms and biological effects in detail. This has already paved the way towards pharmacologic interventions, exemplified by a longterm industrial collaboration to develop enzyme inhibitors that activate the hypoxia response as therapeutic drugs, the first one being approved for treatment of severe anemia of chronic kidney diseases in 2018.