Antti Lauerma, Professor Emeritus of Dermatology and Allergology at the University of Helsinki, highlights the benefits of practical research experience for doctors.
Research fosters critical thinking and the capacity to combine varied knowledge, which ultimately improves patient diagnosis and treatment strategies.
“Professionals with research experience understand how knowledge is generated, which fundamentally shifts their perspective on work.”
Research skills developed early in a career remain useful for most of one’s working life. Lauerma is thus especially keen to encourage junior doctors to engage in research.
In December he donated €20,000 to the University of Helsinki’s cancer research fund, which supports the work of cancer researchers, including through the University’s doctoral programmes.
“It’s wonderful that the University has chosen to support junior researchers in this way. Their research is of exceptionally high quality.”
Retired and giving back
Lauerma found the perfect moment to donate when he retired from his professorship earlier this year. Having now been named Professor Emeritus for a two-year term, he feels that, alongside this role, his contributions as a donor supporting research will keep him closely connected to his first ‘club’, his alma mater.
“Except for a few years spent elsewhere, I’ve worked at the University of Helsinki for nearly my entire career. I’ve held both teaching and research roles and received support at various stages myself.”
Over the years, Lauerma had considered donating, and was finally persuaded when a colleague told him about their own donation.
Cancer increasingly common, especially among older adults
Despite not studying cancer himself, Lauerma views oncological research as an important part of medicine. Many cancers have become significantly more common due to certain lifestyle factors that adversely affect health, as well as ‘naturally’ because of increasing life expectancy. As people live longer, a greater number develop cancer at some stage.
For example, prostate cancer – the most common cancer among men in Finland – typically affects those over the age of 70.
“In my surgery, I often meet patients worried about skin cancer. As our methods for preventing and treating cancer improve, so too will people’s quality of life.”