Arto Koistinen ([email protected])
Director of Research Infrastructures is responsible for strategic development, follow-up and decision preparation related to the University’s infrastructures.
My duties include e.g. development and coordination of UEF infrastructure program and further, strategic planning, cooperation with other institutes and companies, and decision preparation.
Based on the above mentioned duties, University’s collaboration within innovation ecosystems and companies will be strengthened. Collaboration is carried out e.g. with other educational institutes, local councils and national CLIC Innovation consortium.
Research
My expertise in the research include research on biomaterial science, especially on material interactions and chemical analysis. We are one of the leading teams for microplastics analysis in Finland. I will continue leading microplastic research project funded by the Academy of Finland.
Circular Economy Solutions for Microplastics: Indo-Finnish Scientific Collaboration for Innovation
Hanna Lehtimäki ([email protected])
Hanna Lehtimäki (Ph.D. Bus Econ) is a professor of Innovation Management in Business School and a Director of Research Center for Sustainable Circular Economy (CECE) founded in 2023 at the University of Eastern Finland. Her research examines circular economy with theoretical frameworks on innovation management, strategic management, organization theory, leadership, and entrepreneurship. She and her research team, SunLab, advance transdisciplinary social sciences research and societal impact in sustainable circular economy transition. In her capacity as a Vice Director of UEF strategic research community Sustainable Resource Society: Circular Economy, Energy and Raw Materials (RESOURCE RC), she advances multidisciplinary social sciences research agenda for sustainability transition in business and society.
She is an experienced research project leader. Currently she leads a work package in a research consortium Partnership model – plastic circularity funded by Business Finland, a development project Circular economy microcredentials (CE4ALL) funded by EU Just Transition Fund, Northern Savo and Northern Karjala Regional Funds, a research project Leading Regenerative Circular Economy (LEADSUS) funded by the Finnish Foundation for Economic Education and is a work package leader in Research Council of Finland funded research project Multi-level governance of critical materials for future electric mobility (GOVERMAT). She was a vicePI and a work package leader in an Academy of Finland Strategic Research Council project Circular Economy Catalysts: From Innovation to Business Ecosystems (2019-2023) and a leader in Finnish Indian research consortium Circular Economy Solutions for Microplastics: Indo-Finnish Scientific Collaboration for Innovation (CESMI) (2022-2024).
She is also active in advancing sustainability education in her capacity as a leader of Sustainability leadership international Master’s programme at the UEF Business School and a multidisciplinary minor Sustainable Business and Society.
Her research has appeared in journals internationally and she has recently co-edited books on art and sustainability and catalyzing sustainable circular economy. The recent edited books are:
Ghosh, Pooja, Carrasco-Navarro, Victor, Lehtimäki, Hanna (Eds.) (2025, forthcoming). Circular Plastics Economy: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. Elsevier.
Lehtimäki, Hanna, Taylor, Steve, Galvão-Lyra, Mariana (Eds.) (2024). Art and Sustainability Transitions in Business and Society. Theoretical Insights and Engagement. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-3-031-44218-6. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-44219-3
Lehtimäki, Hanna, Aarikka-Stenroos, Leena, Jokinen, Ari, & Jokinen, Pekka (Eds.) (2023). The Routledge Handbook of Catalysts for a Sustainable Circular Economy. Routledge. ISBN 9781032212449.
Joni Järvenpää ([email protected])
I study the health effects and movements of nano-sized microplastics in the human body and cells using molecular modeling. I also do modeling for our sirtuin research group.
Kaisa Raninen ([email protected])
Researcher in the Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition in the Faculty of Health Sciences, and in the SIB Labs (Science – Innovation – Business) team in the Department of Technical Physics in the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology.
I have knowhow in food analysis, clinical nutrition interventions, microbiology, microplastics and biorefining, and special expertise in analysis of volatile compounds (GC-MS).
I am currently working in the ELTUVA project, which investigates the effects of high-pressure processing (HPP) and freeze-drying on the microbiological quality of food in cooperation with local food companies. I am also a contact person of Food Valley network, which is promoting the local food sector.
Kristina Leppälä ([email protected])
My mission is to create knowledge and understandings of the phenomena of practices in life, work, and work life practices, particularly during technology innovations and during sustainability transitions and implementations. I study practitioner logics, emergence, and co-creation with qualitative methodologies and adopt a practice theoretical approach.
Microplastics and health are particular emerging topics which interest me.
Laura Tomppo ([email protected])
I manage the SIB Labs services. We offer versatile imaging and characterisation services for both companies and research groups. In addition to service activities, we implement research and development projects in cooperation with educational institutions, research organisations and industry.
I am involved in a number of projects that focus on material technology, material characterization and continuous monitoring, the use of artificial intelligence in the analysis of continuous measurements, biorefining and microplastics. My background is in research on natural materials such wood and natural fibers, like hemp, and composites produced from these. I am involved in the implementation and development of education in materials technology and bioeconomy.
Maija Lahtela-Kakkonen ([email protected])
We are studying epigenetic regulators involved in histone acetylation. We use drug design methods for identifying novel inhibitors and activators, and study their impact with in vitro assays and in various cell lines. We are focused on class III histodecatylases (HDACs) and Bromodomains (BRDs). In addition we are identifying novel compounds for various other targets such as prolyloligopeptidase (POP, PREP) and TRPA1, latter is linked in neuropathic pain. We are also modeling transporters and microplastics.