My research focuses particularly on the guidance offered in schools and educational institutions and the implementation of the principle of the whole school approach to guidance. In addition to the context of general upper secondary school education, my expertise includes theoretical and methodological discussions of agency and guidance.
Kirsi Vähäkangas ([email protected])
Scientific research in mechanistic and molecular toxicology, supervision of PhD studies, teaching in basic and advanced courses in toxicology
Kirsikka Aittola ([email protected])
I am an early stage researcher, nutritionist and expert of food sciences. I currently work at the Stop Diabetes (StopDia) project in the Department of Clinical Nutrition in Kuopio. The StopDia study was set to create and implement evidence-based and digitally supported strategies for the prevention of type 2 diabetes at population level in three regions in Finland. It is funded by the Strategic Research Council and lasts until year 2019. I take care of practical issues of the StopDia randomized controlled trial and handle the RCT data.
I am interested in eating behavior and eating competence of the StopDia study participants, who are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. With my study I hope to enhance knowledge on eating-related behavior and it’s association with obesity and type 2 diabetes. My goal is to find more efficient ways to make long-lasting healthy lifestyle changes and to conduct effective lifestyle interventions in healthcare and thus, preventing type 2 diabetes.
I’d like to build a research network. I am also active in social media and write nutrition-related blog posts.
I am a PhD researcher in nutrition science, a licensed dietitian and an expert in food science. I am currently working on the Kuopio campus in the Unit of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition in the Stop Diabetes (StopDia) project. The goal of the StopDia study was to create and implement ways to prevent type 2 diabetes in Finland based on scientific evidence and utilize digital tools. The study was funded by the Academy of Finland, Strategic Research. I take care of the practical matters of the randomized controlled trial StopDia, communication and analyse data. I also work in the T2D-Data project, which aims to find out who will benefit from using the BitHabit app in terms of type 2 diabetes prevention.
I also work as a nutrition expert in the national FOODNUTRI project, where we develop a measure of diet quality, the Healthy Diet Index, as a digital app for health promotion and health care services. The goal of the Healthy Diet Index app is to improve the effectiveness of nutritional counselling.
In my dissertation, I study the quality of the diet, the Healthy Diet Index, and eating behavior, more specifically the Satter Eating competence, and their connection to risk factors for type 2 diabetes in the StopDia data. With my research, I hope to increase knowledge on eating-related behavior and its connection to obesity and type 2 diabetes. My goal is to find more effective ways to make long-term health-promoting lifestyle changes, implement effective lifestyle interventions in healthcare and municipalities, and thereby prevent type 2 diabetes.
I would like to build my research network. I am also active on Twitter and I like to participate in nutrition communication.
Konstantin Tamarov ([email protected])
Dr. K. Tamarov obtained his Specialist degree in Physics in 2013 from M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU). After that he proceeded his studies in joint Ph.D. program in MSU and University of Eastern Finland (UEF) and received his Ph.D. degree in Applied Physics with distinction at UEF in 2017. Since then he works as a postdoctoral researcher at Department of Applied Physics, UEF.
His current research interests include:
• Metal-assisted catalytic etching of Si powders and its recently discovered low-load form.
• Regenerative electroless etching of Si powders and wafers to produce photoluminescent Si particles at large scale.
• Physical and chemical mechanisms of metal-assisted catalytic etching, regenerative electroless etching and electrochemical anodization.
• Hyperpolarization of Si and application of hyperpolarized Si nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging.
Krista Hokkanen ([email protected])
I investigate how growth factors regulating lymphatic development influence the progression of cardiometabolic diseases, with a particular focus on metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and liver recovery capacity. In addition to my research work, I coordinate the Cardiovascular Diseases Research Community (CVD RC).
Krista Leppänen ([email protected])
Research focuses on corporate sustainability reporting and the use of sustainability information and reporting practices in strategic decision-making and management.
Kristiina Huttunen ([email protected])
Prodrug expert and group leader (Docent/Adjunct Professor, Ph.D.), who is interested in drug targeting, e.g. into the brain and within the brain, but also into other tissues and cell types by utilizing endogenous transporter proteins. Read more about our activities from the UEF Connect group site, our official websites (WordPress) and/or our Blog (links above and behind the research group introduction).
Kristina Leppälä ([email protected])
Kristina Leppälä is a researcher whose current work examines the navigation and enactment of sustainability and the circular economy in organizational and industrial contexts. Her scholarship draws on practice‑theoretical approaches to investigate multi‑actor collaboration, materiality, technology, and transitions toward more sustainable industrial systems. She has published in international peer‑reviewed journals, contributed to scholarly edited volumes, and presented her research at national and international academic conferences.
She has served as a researcher in several major projects funded by the Research Council of Finland (Strategic Research Council), the EU Just Transition Fund (CE4ALL), the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Foundation for Economic Education, and Business Finland.
Leppälä teaches and supervises both Master’s and Bachelor’s students, working as a lecturer, responsible teacher, and thesis advisor. She has also held guest lecturer positions at Savonia University of Applied Sciences and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. Prior to her academic career, she spent many years in research and development roles within the high‑tech industrial sector.
Her international experience includes visiting researcher appointments at Stanford University (USA) in 2024 and 2025, with the latter supported by a Fulbright Finland grant, and at the University of Exeter (UK) in 2023. She serves on multiple boards and is regularly invited to speak as an expert at academic, professional, and policy‑oriented events.
Originally from the United States, Leppälä has lived in Finland for several decades and maintains strong professional and personal ties across both countries.