Group has two ongoing research projects:
+ Biochar, circular economy and water protection in forestry, Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation, 2018-2020 (PI Marjo Palviainen, UH)
+ Biochar – a new water protection method for acid sulphate soils, Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki, 2020 – 2021 (PI Marjo Palviainen, UH)
My PhD project research focuses on the roles of hepatocyte- and adipose tissue-derived extracellular vesicles in the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
I hold LL.M degrees from the University of Helsinki and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). My PhD is also from the LSE, focusing on the challenges of the environment and legitimacy at the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement System.
I am also affiliated with the 3E Center at the Brussels School of Governance, the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, with the Erik Castren Institute for International Law and Human Rights at the University of Helsinki, as well as with the Earth Negotiations Bulletin / International Institute for Sustainable Development.
My main research interests are international, EU, national and comparative climate change law, as well as international economic law and international legal theory. I also very much enjoy multidisciplinary climate change research both with other social scientists and natural scientists. I work closely with the UEF Research Group on Atmospheric Physics and with other climate scientists within the Atmospheric and Climate Competence Center Flagship.
Beyond academia, I have worked as legal adviser and consultant, inter alia, for the Finnish Government, the World Bank, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, European Commission, Nordic Council of Ministers, IUCN, International Institute for Sustainable Development, International Trade Center, World Resources Institute and Nordic Environment Finance Corporation.
My focus in recent years has been to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurological diseases, especially Parkinson`s disease, schizophrenia and psychopathy. We use patient-derived brain cells in 2D and 3D culture systems to mimic the pathological conditions in the diseased brain more accurately. We also center our efforts on discovering new drug targets and biomarkers for the studied diseases. As the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the ability of drugs to cross the BBB and reach the correct target is critical when designing drugs for neurological diseases, our third aim is to establish a simple model that mimics the physiological architecture and the barrier properties of the BBB. Once created, the ability of novel drugs and biomolecules like extracellular vesicles to penetrate the BBB can be tested. The model can also be used to understand the molecular and transport mechanisms that regulate BBB permeability in physiological and pathological conditions. Gained knowledge and novel discoveries will open in the future new opportunities for therapeutic developments.
For more information, please visit our research group website: https://sites.uef.fi/human-brain-disease-modelling-group/
My PhD project is focused on ocular delivery of extracellular vesicles, liposomes and possible hybrid nanoparticles
My research focuses on non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and how they regulate gene expression, especially during hypoxia. I’m specifically interested in small ncRNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), and their action in cell nuclei. miRNAs downregulate gene expression by targeting messenger-RNAs in the cytoplasm, but they also have roles in e.g. alternative splicing and transcriptional gene regulation in the nucleus that are still less studied. Importantly, miRNAs targeting the promoter regions of genes can induce target gene expression. We can utilize this feature in new RNA therapy (Epigenetherapy). I’m also studying extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes. My research aims to develop engineered EV carrier by modifying EVs for enhanced RNA loading into EVs and targeting them to hypoxic tissue.
