Bioactivity Screening
Group Leader Päivi Tammela
We are experts in antimicrobial drug discovery, exploring new ways to confront the global challenge of emerging drug resistance amongst bacteria.
Biopharmaceutics
Group leader Marjo Yliperttula
The focal point of Biopharmaceutics group research is the development of the biomaterials for cell culture, drug delivery, and tissue repair together with the relevant detection technology. The developed materials are based on the nanofibrillated cellulose, nanoparticles, and extracellular vesicles.
Brain Repair
Group leader Mikko Airavaara
We are interested in mechanisms of neurodegeneration, neuroprotection and brain repair, and we try to find new ways to restore the damaged neuronal circuits and neurotransmission. We focus on studying stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and motivation, with the ultimate long-term goal being to develop disease-modifying therapies. We have a curiosity about endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis, protein aggregates, neural development, and biology of glial cells. We have a passion for excellent level research and high-quality international training. Our mission is to provide the highest quality science-based teaching and training. By finding out what is the thing you are most interested in, and then grasping the opportunity you can shape the future.
Clinical Pharmacy
Group leader Marja Airaksinen
Clinical pharmacy as a discipline is based on health sciences. The discipline is focused on optimising pharmacotherapy and promoting health. Emphases include rational medicine use and ways to influence it, the development and evaluation of clinical pharmacy services, and medication safety. Clinical pharmacy is based on multidisciplinary collaboration and patients’ involvement in their pharmacotherapy. Clinical pharmacy is a philosophy of practice covering all social and health care settings in hospital and outpatient care where pharmacotherapy is part of patient care (University of Helsinki 2010).
Computational Drug Discovery
Unit Leader Henri Xhaard
The ultimate goals of the unit are to discover better, more efficient and safer drug candidates against relevant human diseases, to discover chemical probes for studying biological processes as well as to develop innovative pharmaceutical applications and methods.
Drug Delivery Unit
Group Leader Arto Urtti
Optimal delivery of drugs to their target sites is essential for drug efficacy and safety. Drug delivery unit explores the key pharmacokinetic factors in drug delivery as well as new technologies for delivering drugs, especially to the eyes.
ImmunoViroTherapy Lab
Group Leader Vincenzo Cerullo
Development of novel platforms for cancer immunotherapy.
Industrial Pharmacy
Anne Juppo, Mia Sivén
Industrial pharmacy research includes manufacturing, development, marketing and distribution of drug products and quality assurance of these activities.
Lymphangiogenesis Research and Antibody Development
Group Leader Michael Jeltsch
We do biomedical research in vascular biology (lymphangiogenesis, VEGF-C) and antibody technology development.
Medication Safety and Effectiveness
Group leader Anna-Riia Holmström
Our goal is to develop prospective medication safety risk management methods for healthcare services systems to reduce medication related risks and patient harm. We explore issues such as the role of hospital and community pharmacies and their services in medication safety promotion, the medication safety of neonates and children, the use of healthcare data lakes as a source of medication risk information, and veterinary medication safety. The findings will be used to develop safe medication processes for patients in Finland and internationally. The research is part of the Helsinki One Health Research Network, and the main collaborators are the HUS-Pharmacy Research Center and the Faculty of Veterinary Faculty of the University of Helsinki.
Nanomedicines and Biomedical Engineering
Group leader: Hélder A. Santos
Nanomedicine, Biomedical Engineering and Controlled Drug Delivery.
Laboratory of Neurotherapeutics
Group leader Tomi Rantamäki
We aim to explore mechanisms of sleep and chronobiology and how they are connected with antidepressant treatments to restore neuroplasticity. We investigate neurobiological mechanisms underlying rapid (ketamine, psilocybin, nitrous oxide) and sustained (SSRIs) antidepressant drug effects. The findings will be utilised to develop novel drugs for depression, a leading causes of disability.
Pharmaceutical and Analytical Technologies (Unit in the Drug Research Progam)
Unit Leader Clare Strachan
The Pharmaceutical and Analytical Technologies (PAT) unit specialises in introducing and advancing synergistic technologies that facilitate industrial drug discovery and development.
Pharmaceutical Biophysics
Group Leaders Tapani Viitala and Alexander Bunker
Combining experimental and computational methodologies to generate mechanistic insight into drug action and drug delivery systems.
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology
Group Leader Timo Laaksonen
We work on controlled drug release and delivery using modern methods and materials.
PREP in Neurodegenerative Disorders
Group leader Timo Myöhänen
Our goal is to find novel drug therapies for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. We study and characterize common mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases to discover novel drug targets and then develop novel small-molecular compounds in collaboration with medicinal chemists. One such target is prolyl oligopeptidase (PREP), and we have developed new PREP inhibitors demonstrating preclinical efficacy in several neurodegenerative disease models.
Regenerative Cardiac Pharmacology
Group leader Virpi Talman
We aim to identify new drug targets and to discover new potential therapies for heart diseases, in particular for post-infarction heart failure and cardiomyopathies. We investigate molecular mechanisms of cardiac regeneration and remodelling using modern techniques such as cardiovascular cells derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) and high content imaging and analysis. In collaboration with medicinal chemists, we develop, screen and characterise new compounds that may lead to the discovery of new treatments.
Regenerative neuroscience
Group leader Merja H Voutilainen
Our goal is to identify the therapeutic potential of novel biologicals for neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, and multiple sclerosis, and clarify their molecular mechanisms. We use various approaches to study how to overcome the loss of neurons and remyelination failure. In collaboration with companies, we can take our findings to the clinic.
The Drug Research Program (DRP) is a unique multidisciplinary platform that combines research groups with expertise on different aspects of drug research. See also Drug Research Program Units