Henna Jäntti ([email protected])
I am an academy research fellow and principal investigator at the A.I.Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences. My research team uses CRISPR editing of human stem cell derived brain cells to uncover the neurobiological mechanisms governing glia-synapse interactions in diseases involving psychiatric symptoms. I am specifically interested in understanding how genetic and environmental risk factors affect the development of synapses and over time contribute to disease pathology.
Prior to my current position, I completed postdoctoral research at the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard at Beth Stevens and Matthew Johnson labs in Boston, USA. I focused on a common novel schizophrenia risk gene and developed methods to analyze the structure and function of human synapses in vitro strengthening my expertise in iPSC-neuron-astrocyte cocultures, complement, high-content confocal and super-resolution imaging, gene editing, and bioinformatics.
During my PhD at Prof. Tarja Malm lab, UEF, I gained expertise in human stem cell-derived brain microglia and developed one of the first differentiation methods to produce human iPSC-derived microglia with a suite of functional assays. My research revealed functional impairments upon genetic and environmental risk factors related to Alzheimer’s disease. I established a stem cell laboratory within the research group and gained leadership experience by training and supervising other researchers and MSc students. I also worked at Charles River Laboratories, performing drug testing on neurodegenerative in vivo models.
Before academia, I had an upper degree in industrial design and worked as a designer. I enjoy making illustrations and am happy to help with visualizing scientific concepts.
Henna Konu ([email protected])
I work as Professor of Tourism Business at the University of Eastern Finland Business School, focusing on nature‑based tourism business and sustainability transitions in tourism. A core stream of my research examines sustainable, responsible and regenerative tourism business models, with particular attention to how environmental value, biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural resource management are integrated into firm‑level decisions and destination development.
My research advances understanding of transformative, restorative and inclusive tourism experiences, exploring how experiential value is created and how emotional and sensory dimensions influence wellbeing and meaningful engagement with nature and culture. I also study nature‑positive and regenerative business logic, as well as regional collaboration and knowledge ecosystems that support tourism businesses in acting as stewards of nature while maintaining competitiveness and resilience.
Henna Martiskainen ([email protected])
My research is focused on the genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases in the Finnish population. I use human-derived cell models to understand the molecular mechanisms of the genetic risk variants in microglial cells.
Henna Nikumaa ([email protected])
Henna Nikumaa works as a postdoctoral researcher in Law and Ageing at Law School and the Neuroscience Research Community (NeuroRC) at University of Eastern Finland. She works on various projects studying the rights of ageing people.
Nikumaa has a PhD in Law and Ageing. In her research she is interested in the equality of older and disabled people as well as challenges of autonomy and protection of people with dementia.
Nikumaa has worked for 20 years in various positions in the field of social and health care for older people. Especially she has led projects that developed and strengthened later life legal planning, equality and the rights of people with dementia. She has published, in particular, a large amount of articles and chapters in textbooks for social and health care professionals.
Nikumaa has a master’s degree in leadership and management and has many years of experience in management and supervision from different organizations as well as from different research and development projects. She is a member of the European Law and Ageing Network (ELAN) and a co-founder of the Finnish network of Elder Law Experts (VAASI).
Henna Timonen ([email protected])
I work as a university teacher in the international Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development. I also serve as a project researcher in the EMI-KAAKO project, which aims to develop English-Medium Instruction (EMI) in the disciplines of Education and Adult Education (ASLO & LLLSus).
In addition, I am conducting my own doctoral research on the theme of EMI teaching from the perspective of Foucault’s critical ontology of the self.
Henni Ylänne ([email protected])
I am an arctic ecosystem ecologist with a PhD from the University of Oulu from 2017. Currently, I serve as the Academic coordinator for the Centre of Excellence in Peatlands, Climate Change and Ecological Restoration (PeatResC, 2026-2033). I am also a member of the Sami Climate Council, an independent expert body appointed by the Finnish government (2023-2027) with the task to ensure that Sámi perspectives become heard in local, national and regional decision-making. In particular, I am interested in how traditional livelihoods, such as reindeer herding, may thrive and adapt amidst the ongoing climatic and land use changes.
My key research interests delve around Arctic ecosystem processes, particularly the controls behind carbon sequestration – and how these are modified by the semi-domesticated reindeer. I am interested in the couplings between above- and belowground processes, feedback loops and the consequences of ongoing and expected changes for ecosystems’ grazing capacity and livelihoods depending on grazers. My field-based studies have covered several northern ecosystems: tundra heaths and meadows, mountain birch forests and their transition zone with tundra as well as northern and subarctic peatlands. I am also interested in conceptualizing the role of grazers within Finland and the wider Arctic.
During my scientific career, I have also developed a passion for statistics that led me to various ongoing collaborations with several of those assessing peatland processes and their responses to climate change and ecological restoration.
Henri Hyvönen ([email protected])
I work in the CAREMEN: Reconfiguration of Caring Masculinity in Efficiency-driven and Resource-limited Care Work (UEF Research Fellow position). My research interests include men in care work, men’s embodiment and health behaviors, and the biopolitical administration of men and masculinities.
Henri Korkalainen ([email protected])
Research focused on the applications of machine learning to sleep medicine. Interests in biosignal analysis, neural networks, data analysis, sleep apnea diagnostics, and health technology.
Henri Leinonen ([email protected])
My laboratory´s research focuses on two projects: (1) Homeostatic plasticity in the retina, its molecular mechanisms and implications for functional adaptation; (2) investigation of a novel drug repurposing-strategy for the treatment of retinal degenerations (RD). We use the retina as a model tissue for plasticity, pharmacology and drug discovery research for several reasons, such as amenability for noninvasive imaging due to eye’s transparency, finely layered structure and well-characterized structure-function relationships, functional similarity to that of brain due to same neurodevelopmental origin. Arguably, the retina is the best-characterized neuronal system in the body.
I detected retinal adaptability to sensory defect in year 2013 and our first paper related to this was published in 2020 (Leinonen et al., eLife). Next, we aim to solve the molecular pathways enabling retinal homeostatic plasticity. This knowledge will help to find mechanisms how the CNS adapts to injury and malfunction and can guide pharmacotherapies.
Our drug discovery program uses repurposed GPCR drugs. We have shown that a treatment with a combination therapy comprised of three GPCR-drugs slows progressive RD. The next crucial task is to uncover the therapeutic mechanisms of our therapy. This will facilitate further development of the treatment concept and can launch innovative drug development pipelines.