Find a sustainability expert

HELSUS is a transdisciplinary sustainability science institute and our members include experts from all areas of sustainability, from climate change and sustainability transitions to behavioral change and education. The researcher list below consists of HELSUS members from PhD-researchers to professors. We hope you will find an expert matching your needs!

 (Note: If you are a HELSUS-member willing to be added to the list, please fill in this e-form)

If you don't find a contact you are looking for, you can look for HELSUS members along with their publications, projects and activities, via University of Helsinki's Research Portal. If you're looking for HELSUS members conducting specific research, please use the search bar in Research Portal and search for the terms "HELSUS" or "Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science" followed by "AND" and your chosen keyword(s); for example: "Helsinki institute of Sustainability Science" AND "Arctic"

You can also contact us at helsus@helsinki.fi to connect you to a researcher on a specific topic that matches your need!

To help you find information easily, we divided the experts below to broad thematic categories according to their research interests.

Researchers

Eugenia Castellazzi 

Doctoral researcher

https://cocarbon.fi/en/ | https://natura-net.org/nbs-global-roadmap | https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/human-nature-transformations/people 

English, Italian, Finnish

Keywords: Environmental justice; Sustainability education; NBS

eugenia.castellazzi@helsinki.fi; +3584578314270

Viola Hakkarainen

Postdoctoral researcher

Finnish, English, Swedish

Keywords: Ecosystem governance, Justice, Science-policy, Sustainability education, Biodiversity governance, Plural values and knowledges

viola.hakkarainen@helsinki.fi; 04578323220

Matti O. Hannikainen 

Post-doctoral researcher

Finnish, English, Swedish, German

Keywords: Environmental history; Urban history; City; Green space; Park; Garden; Nature conservation; Fish; Fisheries

matti.o.hannikainen@helsinki.fi

Janne I. Hukkinen 

Professor of Environmental Politics

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/jahukkin/  

Finnish (mother tongue) English (fluent) Swedish (ok) French (so-so)

Keywords: Environmental policy and governance; Sustainability science; Risk governance; Cognitive science

janne.i.hukkinen@helsinki.fi; +358 50 367 1375

Michiru Nagatsu 

Professor

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/michiru-nagatsu/ 

Japanese, English

Keywords: Sustainability science; Human-nature relations; Philosophy of economics; Behavioral economics; Experimental economics; Philosophy of emotion

Michiru.nagatsu@helsinki.fi; +358407456741

Mari Niva

Professor

Finnish, English

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/consumer-studies-research-group

https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/en/persons/mari-niva

Keywords: consumption, consumers, practices, sustainable consumption, food consumption, alternative protein consumption

mari.niva@helsinki.fi; +358 29 412 0916

Janne J. Salovaara 

Postdoctoral researcher

jannesalovaara.fi

Finnish, English

Keywords: Sustainability science; Professionalism; Transformation; Agency; Philosophy of sustainability

janne.salovaara@helsinki.fi; +358400588887

Zahra Safaei

Postdoctoral researcher

Persian, English, Finnish

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahrasafaei/

https://www.iqneiform.fi/blog

Keywords: Mission-Oriented Innovation, Sustainable Digitalization, Water, Energy, Food Nexus IoT Sensors & Digital Twin

zahra.safaei@helsinki.fi; +358 504012048

Rachel Sinquefield-Kangas 

Grant-funded researcher

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/anthropocenechildhoods_en/ 

English

Keywords: Social justice; More-than-human empathy; Art education; Empathy

rachel.sinquefiield-kangas@helsinki.fi

Joula Siponen

Doctoral researcher, Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research

Finnish, English

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/climatecompetencies/about/

Keywords: Climate change education; Higher education; Expertise; Cryospheric science

joula.siponen@helsinki.fi; +358413136786

Otto Snellman 

Doctoral researcher

Finnish, English

Keywords: Hypocrisy; Self-deception; Greenwashing; Structural injustice; Environmental activism; Climate justice

otto.snellman@helsinki.fi

Riikka Suhonen

Doctoral researcher

Finnish, English, French

Keywords: Vocational education; Global justice; Global citizenship; Sustainability education; Global education; Controversial issues; Civil engagement

riikka.suhonen@helsinki.fi; +358505629272

Elisa Vilhunen  

Postdoctoral researcher

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/climatecompetencies/ 

Finnish, English

Keywords: Climate education; Engagement; Science learning; Secondary school; Emotions; Attitudes and well-being

Elisa.vilhunen@helsinki.fi;  0503379768

Dorothee Cambou 

Assistant Professor of Sustainability Science

English, French

Keywords: International law; Indigenous peoples rights; Sami rights; Just transition; Arctic studies; Business & human rights

dorothee.cambou@helsinki.fi; 0504188175 

Corinna Casi

Doctoral candidate

English, Italian

Keywords: Environmental ethics, Environmental values, Environmental social sciences, Environmental sustainability, (Sámi) Indigenous traditional knowledge, Human-nature relations, Food ethics, Wise use of natural resources in the Arctic

corinna.casi@helsinki.fi, +358509335911

Eugenia Castellazzi 

Doctoral Researcher

https://cocarbon.fi/en/ | https://natura-net.org/nbs-global-roadmap | https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/human-nature-transformations/people 

English, Italian, Finnish

Keywords: Environmental justice; Sustainability education; NBS

eugenia.castellazzi@helsinki.fi; +3584578314270 

Elena Esther Cirkovic 

Researcher

https://www.mpi.lu/the-institute/senior-research-fellows/elena-cirkovic/ | elenacirkovic.com 

Fluent: English, German, Spanish | BCS Intermediate: French, Italian, Russian

Outer space law; Law and technology; Law and machine learning; Space sustainability; Space technology for climate; Complex systems

elena.cirkovic@helsinki.fi; +358417472724 

Miriam Czarski 

Doctoral researcher

English, French, Spanish

Keywords: International environmental law Ocean governance Arctic law

miriam.czarski@helsinki.fi;  

Katri Havu 

Assistant Professor

Finnish, Swedish, English

Keywords: Law; EU law; Competition law; Damages liability; Consumer law; New technologies; Greenwashing; Sustainability

Katri.havu@helsinki.fi; 0294122656 

Viola Hakkarainen

Postdoctoral researcher

Finnish, English, Swedish

Keywords: Ecosystem governance, Justice, Science-policy, Sustainability education, Biodiversity governance, Plural values and knowledges

viola.hakkarainen@helsinki.fi; 04578323220

Hisayo Katsui 

Professor in Disability Studies

Finnish, English, Japanese

Keywords: Disability studies; Human rights; Global South; Global North; Globalization; Participatory research; Disability inclusion.

hisayo.katsui@helsinki.fi; 0407236680 

Kai Kokko 

Professor of Environmental Law

https://clicinnovation.fi/project/bioccu/  

Finnish, English, Swedish

Keywords: Environmental law; Climate law; Biodiversity law; Environmental regulation; Corporate social responsibility

kai.kokko@helsinki.fi; +358 29 412 2820 

Sanna S. Lehtinen 

Doctoral Researcher

Finnish, English

Keywords: Heritage law; Coastal landscapes; Ecofeminism; Climate crisis; Critical heritage studies

sanna.lehtinen@helsinki.fi; +358 50 527 8185 

Tuuli Parviainen

Post-doctoral researcher

Keywords: Sustainability sciences, Risk governance, Climate crisis management and preparedness, Renewable energy, Onshore and offshore wind farms, Just energy transition

Finnish, English, French

tuuli.parviainen@helsinki.fi; 0442373587

Heikki Patomäki 

Professor of World Politics

https://patomaki.fi/en/  | https://www.helsinki.fi/en/networks/global-political-economy  

Finnish, English

Keywords: Anthropocene; Critical realism; Democracy; Dynamics of the world economy; Global governance; Global greenhouse gas tax; Relations of power

heikki.patomaki@helsinki.fi; +358405184854 

Rachel Sinquefield-Kangas 

Grant-funded researcher

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/anthropocenechildhoods_en/ 

English

Keywords: Social justice; More-than-human empathy; Art education; Empathy

rachel.sinquefiield-kangas@helsinki.fi;  

Otto Snellman 

Doctoral Researcher

Finnish, English

Keywords: Hypocrisy; Self-deception; Greenwashing; Structural injustice; Environmental activism; Climate justice

otto.snellman@helsinki.fi

Bodo Steiner

Professor of Food Economics & Business Management

English, German, French, Italian

Keywords: Food businesses, Business management, Social sustainability, Environmental sustainability, CSR in food systems, Transparency

bodo.steiner@helsinki.fi; +358503116118

Päivi Tikkakoski

Doctoral Researcher

Finnish, English, Swedish, German, French

Keywords: Climate risk, Adaptation, Just transition

paivi.tikkakoski@helsinki.fi; 0294157853; 0503133544

Reetta Toivanen 

Professor in Sustainability Science

Finnish, Swedish, English, German

Keywords: Arctic, Indigenous peoples, minority rights, environmental humanities, just energy transition

Reetta.toivanen@helsinki.fi; +358503185281 

Alizée Ville 

Doctoral researcher

English French Swedish 

Keywords: Forest policy; Gender equality; Botanical knowledge; Timber commodity chain 

Alizee.ville@helsinki.fi; +358408286466 

Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen 

Professor of Indigenous Studies

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=pirjo+virtanen+helsingin+yliopisto&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 

English, Finnish, Portuguese, French

Keywords: Indigenous sustainability

pirjo.virtanen@helsinki.fi; 00358503182400 

Marketta Vuola 

Doctoral researcher

https://treesfordev.fi/ 

Finnish, English, French 

Keywords: Extractivism; Artisanal and small-scale mining; Neoliberal conservation; Ecological restoration; Frontiers; Madagascar

Marketta.vuola@helsinki.fi; 0504433393 

Tuomas Aivelo 

Academy research fellow

https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/projektit/kaupunkirotat 

Finnish, English

Keywords: Rats; Parasites; Urban ecology; Disease ecology; Science education; Environmental education; Pest management; Ecology and evolution; Multispecies cohabitation; Invasive species; Animal histories; Human-wildlife conflict

Tuomas.aivelo@helsinki.fi; +358408286466 

Traci Birge

Researcher

English (mother tongue) Finnish (good)

2021 Pölyttäjäystävällinen maatila (Principal investigator) https://www.bsag.fi/hankkeet/polyttajat-ovat-ruuantuotannon-kulmakivi/ 2023 BioMonitor4CAP (Postdoc researcher) https://www.biomonitor4cap.eu/en/

Keywords: Agroecology; Farmland biodiversity; Farmer-based research; Results-based payments; Traditional rural biobiotopes; Pollinator-friendly farming

traci.birge@helsinki.fi; +358503534873

Dorothee Cambou 

Assistant Professor of Sustainability Science

English, French  

Keywords: International law; Indigenous peoples rights; Sami rights; Just transition; Arctic studies; Business & human rights

Dorothee.cambou@helsinki.fi; 0504188175

Corinna Casi

Doctoral candidate

English, Italian

Keywords: Environmental ethics, Environmental values, Environmental social sciences, Environmental sustainability, (Sámi) Indigenous traditional knowledge, Human-nature relations, Food ethics, Wise use of natural resources in the Arctic

corinna.casi@helsinki.fi, +358509335911

Eugenia Castellazzi 

Doctoral Researcher

https://cocarbon.fi/en/ | https://natura-net.org/nbs-global-roadmap | https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/human-nature-transformations/people 

English, Italian, Finnish

Keywords: Environmental justice; Sustainability education; NbS

eugenia.castellazzi@helsinki.fi; +3584578314270 

Johanna Eklund

Associate Professor

Swedish, Finnish, English

Keywords: Biodiversity conservation, Tropical forests, Deforestation, GIS, Sustainable development, Protected areas

johanna.f.eklund@helsinki.fi; +358504484428

Elena Esther Cirkovic 

Researcher

https://www.mpi.lu/the-institute/senior-research-fellows/elena-cirkovic/ | elenacirkovic.com 

Fluent: English, German, Spanish | BCS Intermediate: French, Italian, Russian

Keywords: Outer space law; Law and technology; Law and machine learning; Space sustainability; Space technology for climate; Complex systems

elena.cirkovic@helsinki.fi; +358417472724 

Silvia Gaiani 

Senior researcher

English

Keywords: Sustainable food systems; Food entrepreneurship; Innovation sustainability

Silvia.gaiani@helsinki.fi; 03357001757 

Viola Hakkarainen

Postdoctoral researcher

Finnish, English, Swedish

Keywords: Ecosystem governance, Justice, Science-policy, Sustainability education, Biodiversity governance, Plural values and knowledges

viola.hakkarainen@helsinki.fi; 04578323220

Matti O. Hannikainen 

Post-doctoral researcher

Finnish, English, Swedish, German

Keywords: Environmental history; Urban history; City; Green space; Park; Garden; Nature conservation; Fish; Fisheries

matti.o.hannikainen@helsinki.fi 

Stephan Hauser

Post-doctoral researcher

French, English

Keywords: Environment; public health; oil industry; urban planning; law; history; pollution

stephan.hauser@helsinki.fi  +358504751768

Katri Havu 

Assistant Professor 

Finnish, Swedish, English

keywords: Law; EU law; Competition law; Damages liability; Consumer law; New technologies; Greenwashing; Sustainability

Katri.havu@helsinki.fi; 0294122656 

Iryna Herzon 

Senior University Lecturer

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/agroecology/people 

English, Finnish, Ukrainian, Russian

Keywords: Agroecology; Food systems; Biodiversity; Sustainability; Intedisciplinary

iryna.herzon@helsinki.fi; +358405330946 

Teng Hu 

Postdoctoral Researcher

English

Keywords: Carbon balance; Agro-ecosystems; Field management practices; Climate change mitigation; Sustainable agriculture

Teng.hu@helsinki.fi; +358505754822 

Galina Kallio 

Postdoctoral researcher

Finnish, English, Russian, Spanish

Keywords: Multispecies economies; Regenerative agriculture; Farming livelihoods; Food economies; Community supported agriculture

galina.kallio@helsinki.fi; 504392577 

Kai Kokko 

Professor of Environmental Law

https://clicinnovation.fi/project/bioccu/  

Finnish, English, Swedish

Keywords: Environmental law; Climate law; Biodiversity law; Environmental regulation; Corporate social responsibility

kai.kokko@helsinki.fi; +358 29 412 2820 

Merja Kontro 

University Lecturer

Finnish, Swedish, English

Microbiology; Biochemistry; Biotechnology; Environmental sciences; Water management; Waste management; Circular economy; Risk assessment; Environmental remediation

Merja.kontro@helsinki.fi +358407746642, +358294120309 

Sanna S. Lehtinen 

Doctoral Researcher

Finnish, English

Keywords: Heritage law; Coastal landscapes; Ecofeminism; Climate crisis; Critical heritage studies

sanna.lehtinen@helsinki.fi; +358 50 527 8185 

Michiru Nagatsu 

Professor

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/michiru-nagatsu/ 

Japanese, English

Keywords: Sustainability science; Human-nature relations; Philosophy of economics; Behavioral economics; Experimental economics; Philosophy of emotion

Michiru.nagatsu@helsinki.fi; +358407456741 

Tina Nyfors 

Grant-funded researcher

www.linkedin.com/in/tinanyfors 

Swedish, Finnish, English

Keywords: Consumption; Overconsumption; Sufficiency; Grassroots initiatives; Ecological limits; Planetary boundaries; Strong sustainability; Degrowth

tina.nyfors@helsinki.fi; 0504722144 

Marja Roitto  

Research coordinator

https://www.helsinki.fi/covere2

marja.roitto@helsinki.fi; 0456336313

Keywords: Environmental impact assessment of food production, Urban agriculture, Novel foods, Food loss, Circular economy of food

English, Finnish

 

Toni Ruuska 

Adjunct Professor of Sustainable Economy, University Lecturer in Food Economy

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/process-studies-on-sustainable-economy 

Finnish, English

Keywords: Food economy, degrowth, political economy, political ecology, critical theory.

Toni.ruuska@helsinki.fi; +358294158056 

Mika Saarenpää 

Doctoral researcher

Biwe.fi 

English, Finnish, Swedish

Keywords: Biodiversity; immune system; health; urban planning; microbe; microbiome

Mika.saarenpaa@helsinki.fi; 0505700496 

Janne J. Salovaara 

Postdoctoral Researcher

jannesalovaara.fi

Finnish, English

Keywords: Sustainability science; Professionalism; Transformation; Agency; Philosophy of sustainability

janne.salovaara@helsinki.fi; +358400588887

Otto Snellman 

Doctoral Researcher

Finnish, English

Keywords: Hypocrisy; sSelf-deception; Greenwashing; Structural injustice; Environmental activism; Climate justice

otto.snellman@helsinki.fi

Juha Tervala 

Senior University Lecturer

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/jtervala/ 

Finnish, English

Keywords: Fiscal policy; Fiscal sustainability; Public green investment

juha.tervala@helsinki.fi; +358505862968 

Reetta Toivanen 

Professor of Sustainability Science

Finnish, Swedish, English, German

Keywords: Arctic; Indigenous peoples; Minority rights; Environmental humanities; Just energy transition

Reetta.toivanen@helsinki.fi; +358503185281

Anne Toppinen

Professor in forest economics and business

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/forest-bioeconomy-business-and-sustainability 

https://decarbonhome.fi/

https://resonateforest.org/

English, Finnish, Swedish

Keywords: Responsible business management; Circular economy; Bioeconomy; Business models; Resilience; Wood construction;

anne.toppinen@helsinki.fi; 0504150219

Rubén Vezzoni 

Doctoral Researcher

English, Spanish, Italian, French

Keywords: Green transition; Energy transition; Hydrogen economy; Solar energy; Economic development; Industrial policy; Post-growth economy; Agroecology

ruben.vezzoni@helsinki.fi; 0295322377 

Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen 

Professor

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=pirjo+virtanen+helsingin+yliopisto&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 

English, Finnish, Portuguese, French

Keywords: Indigenous sustainability

pirjo.virtanen@helsinki.fi; 00358503182400 

Edward Webb 

Professor of Global Forests and Land Use

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/viikki-tropical-resources-institute 

English, Spanish, Thai

Keywords: Botany; Ecology; Conservation; Tropical forest; Land use change

Edward.webb@helsinki.fi; +358453228988 

Jessica Jungell-Michelsson

Doctoral researcher

Swedish Finnish English

Keywords: Strong sustainability; Sufficiency; Food business; Sustainable food systems

jessica.jungell-michelsson@helsinki.fi; +358400719514

Tuuli Parviainen

Post-doctoral researcher

Keywords: Sustainability sciences, Risk governance, Climate crisis management and preparedness, Renewable energy, Onshore and offshore wind farms, Just energy transition

Finnish, English, French

tuuli.parviainen@helsinki.fi; 0442373587

Päivi Tikkakoski

Doctoral Researcher

Finnish, English, Swedish, German, French

Keywords: Climate risk, Adaptation, Just transition

paivi.tikkakoski@helsinki.fi; 0294157853; 0503133544

Traci Birge

Researcher

English (mother tongue) Finnish (good)

2021 Pölyttäjäystävällinen maatila (Principal investigator) https://www.bsag.fi/hankkeet/polyttajat-ovat-ruuantuotannon-kulmakivi/ 2023 BioMonitor4CAP (Postdoc researcher) https://www.biomonitor4cap.eu/en/

Keywords: Agroecology; Farmland biodiversity; Farmer-based research; Results-based payments; Traditional rural biobiotopes; Pollinator-friendly farming

traci.birge@helsinki.fi; +358503534873

Silvia Gaiani 

Senior researcher

English

Keywords: Sustainable food systems; Food entrepreneurship; Innovation sustainability

Silvia.gaiani@helsinki.fi; 03357001757 

Juha Helenius 

Professor of agroecology

Finnish, English 

https://www.aka.fi/en/strategic-research/strategic-research/strategic-research-in-a-nutshell/programmes-and-projects/food/ 

Keywords: Agroecology; Farming systems; Environment; Sustainability; Food system; Biodiversity 

juha.helenius@helsinki.fi; 358408493025 

Teng Hu 

Postdoctoral Researcher

English

Keywords: Carbon balance; Agro-ecosystems; Field management practices; Climate change mitigation; Sustainable agriculture

Teng.hu@helsinki.fi; +358505754822 

Elias Hurmekoski

Academy Research Fellow

Finnish, English

Keywords: Climate change mitigation; Forest economics; Forest products markets; Futures studies; Life cycle assessment; LULUCF, Sustainable production and consumption; wood construction

elias.hurmekoski@helsinki.fi; +358 (0)50 414 0312 

Galina Kallio 

Postdoctoral researcher

Finnish, English, Russian, Spanish

Keywords: Multispecies economies; Regenerative agriculture; Farming livelihoods; Food economies; Community supported agriculture

galina.kallio@helsinki.fi; 504392577

Paula Kiuru

Docent of medicinal chemistry

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/medicinal-chemistry/research 
https://transforming-pharma.eu/

paula.kiuru@helsinki.fi; +358440261747

Keywords: Green chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Sustainable drugs, Bioactive natural products, Antibiotics

Finnish, English

Emilia Laine

Doctoral Researcher

emilia.j.laine@helsinki.fi; +358504485199

Keywords: Cellular agriculture, Agri-food tech, Microbial bioeconomy, Sustainable food systems

Finnish, English, Spanish

Mari Niva

Professor

Finnish, English

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/consumer-studies-research-group

https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/en/persons/mari-niva

Keywords: consumption, consumers, practices, sustainable consumption, food consumption, alternative protein consumption

mari.niva@helsinki.fi; +358 29 412 0916

Tina Nyfors 

Grant-funded researcher

www.linkedin.com/in/tinanyfors 

Swedish, Finnish, English

Keywords: Consumption; Overconsumption; Sufficiency; Grassroots initiatives; eEcological limits; Planetary boundaries; Strong sustainability; Degrowth

tina.nyfors@helsinki.fi; 0504722144 

Toni Ruuska 

Adjunct Professor of Sustainable Economy, University Lecturer in Food Economy

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/process-studies-on-sustainable-economy 

Finnish, English

Keywords: Food economy; Degrowth; Political economy; Political ecology; Critical theory.

Toni.ruuska@helsinki.fi; +358294158056 

Zahra Safaei

Postdoctoral researcher

Persian, English, Finnish

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahrasafaei/

https://www.iqneiform.fi/blog

Keywords: Mission-Oriented Innovation, Sustainable Digitalization, Water, Energy, Food Nexus IoT Sensors & Digital Twin

zahra.safaei@helsinki.fi; +358 504012048

Bodo Steiner

Professor of Food Economics & Business Management

English, German, French, Italian

Keywords: Food businesses, Business management, Social sustainability, Environmental sustainability, CSR in food systems, Transparency

bodo.steiner@helsinki.fi; +358503116118

Olli Tahvonen 

Professor

Finnish, English

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/economic-ecological-optimization-group 

Keywords: Environmental economics; Economics of natural resources; Forest economics; forest policy

Olli.tahvonen@helsinki.fi; +358504156565 

Anne Toppinen

Professor in forest economics and business

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/forest-bioeconomy-business-and-sustainability 

https://decarbonhome.fi/

https://resonateforest.org/

English, Finnish, Swedish

Keywords: Responsible business management; Circular economy; Bioeconomy; Business models; Resilience; Wood construction;

anne.toppinen@helsinki.fi; 0504150219

Rubén Vezzoni 

Doctoral Researcher

English, Spanish, Italian, French

Keywords: Green transition; Energy transition; Hydrogen economy; Solar energy; Economic development; Industrial policy; Post-growth economy; Agroecology

ruben.vezzoni@helsinki.fi; 0295322377 

Jessica Jungell-Michelsson

Doctoral researcher

Swedish Finnish English

Keywords: Strong sustainability; Sufficiency; Food business; Sustainable food systems

jessica.jungell-michelsson@helsinki.fi; +358400719514

Marja Roitto  

Research coordinator

https://www.helsinki.fi/covere2

marja.roitto@helsinki.fi; 0456336313

Keywords: Environmental impact assessment of food production, Urban agriculture, Novel foods, Food loss, Circular economy of food

English, Finnish

Tuomas Aivelo 

Academy research fellow

https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/projektit/kaupunkirotat 

Finnish, English (can survive French, Swedish) 

Keywords: Rats; Parasites; Urban ecology; Disease ecology; Science education; Environmental education; Pest management; Ecology and evolution; Multispecies cohabitation; Invasive species; Animal histories; Human-wildlife conflict

Tuomas.aivelo@helsinki.fi; +358408286466 

Corinna Casi

Doctoral candidate

English, Italian

Keywords: Environmental ethics, Environmental values, Environmental social sciences, Environmental sustainability, (Sámi) Indigenous traditional knowledge, Human-nature relations, Food ethics, Wise use of natural resources in the Arctic

corinna.casi@helsinki.fi, +358509335911

Johanna Eklund

Associate Professor

Swedish, Finnish, English

Keywords: Biodiversity conservation, Tropical forests, Deforestation, GIS, Sustainable development, Protected areas

johanna.f.eklund@helsinki.fi; +358504484428

Stephan Hauser

Post-doctoral researcher

French, English

Keywords: Environment; public health; oil industry; urban planning; law; history; pollution

stephan.hauser@helsinki.fi  +358504751768

Maija Heikkilä 

University Researcher

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/mgheikki/ | https://pastglobalchanges.org/science/wg/acme/intro 

Finnish, English

Keywords: Arctic; Climate; Environment; Paleoecology; gGeoscience; Cryosphere; Ecosystem; Biodiversity; Carbon cycling; Biodiversity

maija.heikkila@helsinki.fi; 0294157838

Juha Helenius 

Professor 

Finnish, English 

https://www.aka.fi/en/strategic-research/strategic-research/strategic-research-in-a-nutshell/programmes-and-projects/food/ 

Keywords: Agroecology; Farming systems; Environment; Sustainability; Food system; Biodiversity 

juha.helenius@helsinki.fi; 358408493025 

Iryna Herzon 

Senior University Lecturer

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/agroecology/people 

English, Finnish, Ukrainian, Russian

Keywords: Agroecology; Food systems; Biodiversity; Sustainability; Intedisciplinary

iryna.herzon@helsinki.fi; +358405330946 

Elias Hurmekoski 

Academy Research Fellow

Finnish, English

Keywords: Climate change mitigation; Forest economics; Forest products markets; Futures studies; Life cycle assessment; LULUCF; Sustainable production and consumption; Wood construction

elias.hurmekoski@helsinki.fi; +358 (0)50 414 0312 

Merja Kontro 

University Lecturer

Finnish, Swedish, English

Keywords: Microbiology; Biochemistry; Biotechnology; Environmental sciences; Water management; Waste management; Circular economy; Risk assessment; Environmental remediation

Merja.kontro@helsinki.fi +358407746642, +358294120309 

Heidi Lehtiniemi 

Doctoral Researcher

Finnish, English

Keywords: Science-policy interface; Biodiversity; Biodiversity policy; Biodiversity offsetting; Biodiversity knowledge

heidi.lehtiniemi@syke.fi; +358 295 252199

Tuuli Parviainen

Post-doctoral researcher

Keywords: Sustainability sciences, Risk governance, Climate crisis management and preparedness, Renewable energy, Onshore and offshore wind farms, Just energy transition

Finnish, English, French

tuuli.parviainen@helsinki.fi; 0442373587

Mika Saarenpää 

Doctoral researcher

Biwe.fi 

English, Finnish, Swedish

Keywords: Biodiversity; Immune system; Health; Urban planning; Microbe; Microbiome

Mika.saarenpaa@helsinki.fi; 0505700496

Zahra Safaei

Postdoctoral researcher

Persian, English, Finnish

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahrasafaei/

https://www.iqneiform.fi/blog

Keywords: Mission-Oriented Innovation, Sustainable Digitalization, Water, Energy, Food Nexus IoT Sensors & Digital Twin

zahra.safaei@helsinki.fi; +358 504012048

Joula Siponen

Doctoral researcher, Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research

Finnish, English

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/climatecompetencies/about/

Keywords: Climate change education; Higher education; Expertise; Cryospheric science

joula.siponen@helsinki.fi; +358413136786

Olli Tahvonen 

Professor

Finnish, English

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/economic-ecological-optimization-group 

Keywords: Environmental economics; Economics of natural resources; Forest economics; forest policy

Olli.tahvonen@helsinki.fi; +358504156565 

Marketta Vuola 

Doctoral researcher

https://treesfordev.fi/ 

Finnish, English, French 

Keywords: Extractivism, Artisanal and small-scale mining, Neoliberal conservation, Ecological restoration, Frontiers, Madagascar

Marketta.vuola@helsinki.fi; 0504433393

Edward Webb 

Professor

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/viikki-tropical-resources-institute 

English, Spanish, Thai

Keywords: Botany; Ecology; Conservation; Tropical forest; Land use change

Edward.webb@helsinki.fi; +358453228988 

Miriam Czarski 

Doctoral researcher

English, French, Spanish

Keywords: International environmental law; Ocean governance; Arctic law

miriam.czarski@helsinki.fi;  

Stephan Hauser  

Post-doctoral researcher

French, English

Keywords: Environment; public health; oil industry; urban planning; law; history; pollution

stephan.hauser@helsinki.fi  +358504751768

Janne I. Hukkinen 

Professor of Environmental politics

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/jahukkin/  

Finnish (mother tongue) English (fluent) Swedish (ok) French (so-so)

Keywords: Environmental policy and governance; Sustainability science; Risk governance; Cognitive science

janne.i.hukkinen@helsinki.fi; +358 50 367 1375 

Kamilla Karhunmaa 

Grant-funded researcher

Finnish, English, Spanish, French

Keywords: Environmental policy; Environmental markets; Voluntary carbon markets; Science-policy interaction

kamilla.karhunmaa@helsinki.fi; +358405372634

Emilia Laine

Doctoral Researcher

emilia.j.laine@helsinki.fi; +358504485199

Keywords: Cellular agriculture, Agri-food tech, Microbial bioeconomy, Sustainable food systems

Finnish, English, Spanish

Heidi Lehtiniemi 

Doctoral Researcher

Finnish, English

Keywords: Science-policy interface; Biodiversity; Biodiversity policy; Biodiversity offsetting; Biodiversity knowledge

heidi.lehtiniemi@syke.fi; +358 295 252199

Tina Nyfors 

Grant-funded researcher

www.linkedin.com/in/tinanyfors 

Swedish, Finnish, English

Keywords: Consumption; Overconsumption; Sufficiency; Grassroots initiatives; eEcological limits; Planetary boundaries; Strong sustainability; Degrowth

tina.nyfors@helsinki.fi; 0504722144

Tiina Paloniitty

Associate professor of environmental and sustainability law

Finnish English

Keywords: Sustainability law, EU environmental law, EU nature conservation law, Nature restoration law, Water management and law

tiina.paloniitty@helsinki.fi; 0505189488

Yue Pan 

Doctoral researcher

English, Chinese

Keywords: Climate cooperation between the Nordics and China; Policy; Civil society; Relationships 

Yue.pan@helsinki.fi; +358452696466

Heikki Patomäki 

Professor

https://patomaki.fi/en/  | https://www.helsinki.fi/en/networks/global-political-economy  

Finnish, English

Keywords: Anthropocene; Critical realism; Democracy; Dynamics of the world economy; Global governance; Global greenhouse gas tax; Relations of power

heikki.patomaki@helsinki.fi; +358405184854 

Toni Ruuska 

Adjunct Professor of Sustainable Economy, University Lecturer in Food Economy

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/process-studies-on-sustainable-economy 

Finnish, English

Keywords: Food economy; Degrowth; Political economy; Political ecology; Critical theory.

Toni.ruuska@helsinki.fi; +358294158056

Olli Tahvonen 

Professor

Finnish, English

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/economic-ecological-optimization-group 

Keywords: Environmental economics; Economics of natural resources; Forest economics; Forest policy

Olli.tahvonen@helsinki.fi; +358504156565

Päivi Tikkakoski

Doctoral Researcher

Finnish, English, Swedish, German, French

Keywords: Climate risk, Adaptation, Just transition

paivi.tikkakoski@helsinki.fi; 0294157853; 0503133544

Rubén Vezzoni 

Doctoral Researcher

English, Spanish, Italian, French

Keywords: Green transition; Energy transition; Hydrogen economy; Solar energy; Economic development; Industrial policy; Post-growth economy; Agroecology

ruben.vezzoni@helsinki.fi; 0295322377 

Alizée Ville 

Doctoral researcher

English French Swedish 

Keywords: Forest policy; Gender equality; Botanical knowledge; Timber commodity chain 

Alizee.ville@helsinki.fi; +358408286466