The ageing and elder care research group is a multidisciplinary research group (incl. social gerontology, gerontological social work, health and social management, organization sciences), which addresses various elder care management and organizational issues and the wellbeing of older people from multi-agency perspectives. The effectiveness of services is also studied with different methodical approaches.
Anthi-Styliani Makiou (anthi-styliani.makiou@uef.fi)
I am a Biochemist/Biotechnologist with a master’s degree in Toxicology. My past research involves in vitro, in silico and in vivo work. Besides, I have devoted several years to delivering educational assistance and instruction to various levels of learners. My last position was in the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) as a scientific/regulatory support in Biocides (the BPR). Currently, I am conducting my PhD regarding retinal degenerative diseases in School of Pharmacy (LRL lab).
Anu Lainio (anu.lainio@uef.fi)
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the research project ‘Breadline Utopias: Alternative Futures of Material Assistance,’ funded by the Kone Foundation. We explore utopias of those working in food assistance now and in the future, as well as those who need food aid.
I earned my Doctor of Philosophy degree in 2024 from the University of Surrey in the field of sociology of education. My doctoral research was part of the ERC-funded Eurostudents project, which explored constructions of contemporary higher education students by various social actors across six European countries. In my thesis, ‘Discursive Politics of Studentship: Representation of Higher Education Students in the News Media Across Europe,’ I examined and compared constructions of students in newspapers in Denmark, England, Germany, Ireland, Poland, and Spain.
My research interests encompass a wide range of higher education-related themes, including student identities and discursive practices of identity formation, marketisation of higher education, educational inequalities, media studies, and cross-national and international higher education research. Currently, my research focuses on utopian theories and methods, students’ utopias of food assistance, as well as the political imagination and agency of students in a changing welfare society.
Eliisa Vähä (eliisa.vaha@uef.fi)
I am a university teacher of history and social education. My teaching focuses especially on the pedagogy and didactics of history and social studies in both class and subject teacher training. I also lead the Teacher training development group at my department. I am conducting a doctoral study about school-based teacher educators’ perceptions of the professional roles and agency at the Finnish teacher training schools. As a teacher, I am particularly interested in the use of participatory and enlivening teaching methods, especially the possibilities of drama pedagogy in teaching history and social studies.
FCLab.lukio II – Future Classroom Lab for Upper Secondary Schools II
FCLab for Upper Secondary Schools is a project funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education. The project involves research and collaboration with Eastern Finland University (UEF), Tampere University and several companies.
Guidance expertise and professional agency
Heidi Toivanen (heidi.toivanen@uef.fi)
My doctoral dissertation Actualizing Religious Agency in Finnish Life Course Contexts examines religious agency in the Finnish life course and its evolution across generations.
Research objectives:
Religious agency
Religious biographies
Evolution of religion in society
Religion and families
Youth and confirmation training
Older adults and meaning in/of life
Heli Mutanen (heli.mutanen@uef.fi)
Heli´s research interests are located in the realm of youth education an working life pathways and of identity and agency studies.
Intensive personalized guidance counselling – work processes, encounters and pupils’ agency
Johanna Korkeamäki (johanna.korkeamaki@uef.fi)
Johanna Korkeamäki (PhD) is a sociologist, and she works as a researcher in the project Disability and Dignity. Her research interests include health, disability and rehabilitation studies, equity in education and sociological research on agency and the capability approach.