Research Programs Unit

Research Programs Unit (RPU) of the Faculty of Medicine consolidates demonstrated research excellence, with focused research programs addressing the greatest challenges in human health.

International Scientific Advisory Board selects the research programs of RPU through a competitive application procedure every six years. Research programs provide the critical mass to combine biomedical, translational and clinical research with dynamic use of space, equipment and resources. Thus, they form a synergistic platform for top-class scientific and translational discoveries. Nine research programs, selected for the years 2019-2025, comprise of 90 research groups in total. RPU is located in Meilahti campus in Helsinki.

Research Programs 2019-2026
Administration

Dir­ector of Research Pro­grams Unit
Sanna Vuoristo
sanna.vuoristo@helsinki.fi

Vice Director
Päivi Ojala
paivi.ojala@helsinki.fi 

 

Merja Tynjälä

merja.tynjala@helsinki.fi

tel. +358 2941 25321

Suvi Rasmus

suvi.rasmus@helsinki.fi

tel. +358 2941 26656

HR Specialist Päivi Sinisalo
hr-ltdk@helsinki.fi

Maaria Puupponen

maaria.puupponen@helsinki.fi

tel. +358 50 448 9981

Applied Tumor Genomics (ATG)

Petri Mäkelä

petri.makela@helsinki.fi

tel. +358 50 441 8437

Clinical and Molecular Metabolism (CAMM)

Maaria Puupponen

maaria.puupponen@helsinki.fi

tel. +358 50 448 9981

Human Microbiome Research (HUMI)

Tuomas Heini

tuomas.heini@helsinki.fi

tel. +358 50 448 9371

Individualized Drug Therapy (INDIVIDRUG)

Petri Mäkelä

petri.makela@helsinki.fi

tel. +358 50 441 8437

Translational Immunology Program (TRIMM)

Francesca De Lorenzo

francesca.delorenzo@helsinki.fi

tel +358 50 452 4919

Sleep and stress in health and in transition from acute to chronic diseases (SLEEPWELL)

Tiina Härkönen

tiina.harkonen@helsinki.fi

tel +358 50 311 6173

Systems Oncology (ONCOSYS)

Karen Ahlnäs

karen.ahlnas@helsinki.fi

tel +358 50 472 8052 

Translational Cancer Medicine Program (CAN-PRO)

Saija Piiroinen

saija.piiroinen@helsinki.fi

tel +358 50 476 3490

Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program (STEMM)

Kaisa Sarkkinen

kaisa.a.sarkkinen@helsinki.fi

 

Events

Electronic Abstract Book

Program

8:15 Arrival & Breakfast

9:15 Opening

9:30 Scientific session 1

Janne Backman "Deciphering complex drug-drug interactions and their clinical relevance"

Kim Vettenranta "Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia - towards targeted therapy"

Tiina Lindfors "The value and meaning of art"

10:45 Poster teaser talks 1

1.                         Arina Värä ATG

2.                         Aurora Djupsjöbacka HUMI

3.                         Jette-Britt Naams CAMM

4.                         Khushbu Rauniyar INDIVIDRUG

5.                         Lauri Vanharanta STEMM

6.                         Keerthana Ganesh CAN-PRO

7.                         Stanislav Rozov SleepWell

8.                         Jun Dai ONCOSYS

9.                         Bassel Alsaed TRIMM

11:30 Lunch

12:30 Scientific session 2

Jan Born "Sleep - a brain state serving memory consolidation"

Iiris Hovatta "Myelin plasticity in stress and anxiety"

Vinko Palada "Circadian mechanisms in chronic pain and analgesia"

13:45 Poster teaser talks 2

1.                         Daria Afenteva ONCOSYS

2.                         Daniel Persson INDIVIDRUG

3.                         Sanni Alve CAN-PRO

4.                         Neja Sirc TRIMM

5.                         Rishi Banerjee STEMM

6.                         Anni Antikainen CAMM

7.                         Dollwin Matharu HUMI

8.                         Ilja Kalashnikov ATG

9.                         Teemu Zetterman SleepWell

14:30 Afternoon coffee & tea

15:15 Scientific session 3

Sir Munir Pirmohamed "Pharmacogenomics: looking into the future"

Mikko Niemi "Individualized drug therapy - Finnish perspective"

Tiina Paunio "Sleep in psychosis"

Anniina Färkkilä "lmmunogenomic profiling for precision oncology in ovarian cancer"

17:00 Poster teaser talks 3

1.                         Leticia Castillon CAN-PRO

2.                         Sarah Steffens SleepWell

3.                         Subam Kathet TRIMM

4.                         Sofiia Rybas STEMM

5.                         Fernando Perez ONCOSYS

6.                         Zan Pang HUMI

7.                         Ani Korhonen INDIVIDRUG

8.                         Sadia Zafar ATG

9.                         Sabrina Persia CAMM

17:45 Poster session

18:45 Change venue

 

19:00 RPU Summer Party

19:05 Welcome & Best poster awards

19:15 Dinner

21.15 Karaoke

21:45 DJ

23:55-24:00 Thank you & good night

24-05 Afterparty @Teatteri (own expense)

Place: University of Helsinki Great Hall, Main Building, Aleksanterinkatu 5

Abstract book 

Program

8:30.   Arrival

9:15    Welcome

          SESSION 1

9:20   Thijn Brummelkamp, Netherlands Cancer Institute

          Identification of alternative pathways for metabolism or cell death using haploid genetics

9:50   Mikko Taipale, University of Toronto

           Functional proteomics by induced proximity

10:20 Poster teaser talks 1

1. Vilja Jokinen, ATG

2. Suvi-Kukka Tuomi, INDIVIDRUG

3. Anna Pirttikoski, ONCOSYS

4. Linda Id, CAN-PRO

5. Brandon Hickman, HUMI

6. Jani Haukka, CAMM

7. Sonja Sulkava, Sleepwell

8. Swagat Pradhan, STEMM

9. Jefim Brodkin, CAN-PRO

10:55 POSTER SESSION 1

 

12:10 Lunch

 

          SESSION 2

13:20 Kari Alitalo, University of Helsinki

           A proxy for stemness and tumor progression in colorectal cancer

14:05 Amanda Lund, NYU Gross School of Medicine

           Investigating the impact of lymphatic transport on tumor immune surveillance 

14:35 RPU Wellbeing group & Poster teaser talks 2

1. Sandra Harjuhaahto, STEMM

2. Tuomas Aro, HUMI

3. Inam Liaqat, CAN-PRO

4. Samuel Leppiniemi, ONCOSYS

5. Yelin Subashi, INDIVIDRUG

6. Maria Osmala, ATG

7. Rim Bouslama, CAMM

8. María Hincapié-Otero, ONCOSYS

 

15:10 Coffee

 

          SESSION 3

15:55 Pipsa Saharinen, University of Helsinki

           Deciphering the lung vascular barrier in metastasis and leakage

16:20 Taija Mäkinen, Wihuri Research Institute & University of Helsinki

           The multifaceted lymphatic vascular system in development and disease

16:45 Sean Morrison, UT Southwestern Medical Center

           The hematopoietic stem cell niche: implications for clinical transplantation

17:15 Closing words

17:20-18:30 POSTER SESSION 2 with sparkling wine

 

19:00 Dinner & Summer Party at Tapahtumatalo Bank (Unioninkatu 20). Doors open at 18:45

23:45 Thank you and Good Night