I am a clinical psychologist by training and my research interests include causes, consequences, and treatment of substance use disorders and related psychopathology. My current research project investigates the effects of social policies on mental health and criminality of youth. This work is funded by the Research Council of Finland via the Academy Research Fellowship.
I am also affiliated with the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden (https://ki.se/en/people/suvi-maria-virtanen)
Education
PhD in Psychology, University of Helsinki (2021)
MA in Psychology, University of Helsinki (2018)
MSSc in Economic and Social History, University of Helsinki (2017)
BSSc in Economic and Social History, minor in Psychology, University of Helsinki (2015)
Funding and Awards
Academy Research Fellowship, Research Council of Finland (2024)
Early Career Excellence Award, European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (2022)
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (2022)
Finalist for the title of “Young Epidemiologist of the Year”, Finnish Epidemiology Society (2021)
Studentship (salaried position) at the Doctoral Programme in Population Health, University of Helsinki (2020)
Publications
For a full list of my publications, see Google Scholar link above the profile.
My research interest is focused on the experience of meaning during/in life changes and transitions of life. My doctoral thesis focused on how emerging adults with cancer appraised their life as meaningful. In addition, I was interested to study the role of spirituality in the coping process. During the post doctoral phase, I am studying meaning in life among the elderly; furthermore, I am scrutinizing how they see gerontechonlgy as part of their care. In our Meaningful Relations -project, the focus is in the experiences of patients and carers going through palliative care at home.
While working as a post doc at the department of applied psychology, Univ. of Huddersfield, UK, I worked in two (ongoing) project. In the first project we are analysing the dyadic interviews of patient and carer during the end-of-life care. Second, we launched a new project focusing on well-being of the post graduate students (PGR).
Visual research methods I found very intriguing. In all of my studies, I have employed visual elements.
My research focuses on themes related to water, marine environment and biodiversity law. The leading theme of my research is understanding the influence of the broader legal and economic systems on the effectiveness of water, marine environment and biodiversity protection law, particularly how their current organisation, institutional structures and underpinning notions impede addressing the widescale environmental crises such as biodiversity loss and pollution. My background is on EU law, but my research moves between levels of international, EU and national law.
Suvianna Hakalehto is professor of law teaching tort law, child law and education law. The topic of her PhD thesis from the University of Helsinki (2008) was tort liability of public authorities. Since 2010 the main focus of Suvianna’s research has been children’s rights. Her post doctoral study (2012) was the first legal work in Finland on the rights and duties of children in education context. In 2018 she published the first comprehensive legal work on children’s rights in Finland (“Lapsioikeuden perusteet”).
Suvianna is interested in the special legal status of a minor in various context (family, school, health care, immigration etc) and the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Finland. Her recent research has been in the field of education law (school discipline, inclusion, supervision of education providers), on implementing UNCRC in Finland and on tort liability in case of human rights violations. She is now doing research on patients’ rights and writing a book on how to use the UNCRC
Suvianna has been training lawyers as well as professionals on several topics (tort liability, good administration, human rights and consititutional rights, family law, children’s rights, legal topics of education). She is a chair of Child Law Lawyers.
A doctoral researcher at the Department of Technical Physics, studying methods of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI).
While doing my masters in Bangor University, UK, I learnt more about mental health benefits of green spaces and got exposed to the practice of nature/green prescriptions. My interest in green space and well-being was piqued by the field trip to a hospital in the UK having a distinctive design that allows patients to view the greenspace which in turn believed to improve their recovery. These exposures helped me to develop my doctoral research plan and here I am in the world’s happiest nation to explore about the forest-related happiness and well-being.
In my doctoral research, I’m exploring the human-forest relationship in Finland through the lens of well-being benefits particularly happiness. I also aimo to understand Finnish forest users’ perspectives which may eventually help in tailoring forest-based well-being practices to their needs.
I’m also interested in biodiversity monitoring (birds and amphibians) and engaging with citizen science initiatives.
Research interests
Greenspace and well-being
Urban forests
Citizen science
Biodiversity monitoring (taxa: birds and amphibians)
My background is in folklore studies and human-animal studies, and I have specialized in human-cattle relationships and the history of Finnish dairy husbandry. In my previous studies, I have examined the impacts of technologization and modernization on cattle husbandry and the concomitant human-animal relationships in Finland from the late 19th century until the 21st century. Milk Change research project examines the changes in the meanings and practices related to milk and dairy farming in Finland from the 1950s to the present day, focusing on 1) the history of milk promotion, 2) contemporary public discussion, and 3) the perceptions and future plans of dairy farmers. Theoretically I am interested in posthumanist and new materialist theories, as well as gender studies perspectives. I have also been involved in the research project “Culture of Unsustainability”, funded by the Academy of Finland, at the University of Turku (2019-2023).
My research focuses on carbon cycling and greenhouse gas dynamics (carbon dioxide and methane) in Arctic and boreal freshwater ecosystems.
Research areas: health psychology, occupational health psychology, wellbeing, wellbeing at work, teachers’ wellbeing, psychosocial factors at work, student wellbeing, positive psychology, emotional skills
