“We are very pleased that Raisio’s Research Foundation wanted to make such a significant donation to us,” says Mari Sandell, who will become the dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry at the turn of the year.
The new professorship will help find solutions to a major global problem: at the moment, cardiovascular diseases are the
“We have a long research tradition in the health effects of food, including the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes,” Sandell says.
University of Helsinki an ideal home for the position
Viikki Campus is known for its strong research in the food sector, with which it closely networks in Finland. It is also home to the innovative
The multidisciplinary nature of the campus also manifests in everyday contexts: nutrition scientists join forces with researchers specialising in fields such as medicine as well as behavioural, social and educational sciences in projects funded by, for example, the EU and the Research Council of Finland. For the focus areas of the new professorship, this is a major asset.
“In Viikki, we are investigating how nutrition affects both public and individual health. Our researchers have also received several awards,” Sandell says.
“The University of Helsinki is an excellent environment for this professorship. The aim of endowing funds to the professorship is to achieve both academic and societal impact,” says Representative Ingmar Wester of Raisio plc’s Research Foundation.
The recruitment preparations are already under way. According to Sandell, a suitable person can be found in Finland as well as from abroad. The goal is to appoint a versatile and widely networked talent familiar with themes linked to nutrition and cardiac health.
“The professor could begin working in late 2026,” Sandell estimates.
Professorship enriches expertise on Viikki Campus
What will the new professor focus on? Among other things, they could investigate the role of various diets and bioactive foods in cardiovascular disease prevention – and assess the health effects of novel food innovations.
Or the professor could explore questions related to pathogenic mechanisms, such as the role of nutrition in metabolism or insulin resistance. They could also promote public health and the application of research findings to people’s everyday lives, for example, through experimental research designs.
According to Sandell, the appointee will effectively supplement the competencies of the three current professors of nutrition science on Viikki Campus.
“The idea is for the new professorship not to overlap with ongoing research, but to bring to it a new perspective.”
The new professor will also enrich students’ everyday lives, for example, by contributing to teaching in the Master’s Programme in Nutrition Science and providing useful viewpoints to a degree programme in food export and gastronomy currently being designed.
“It’s essential that the food available to people supports their health and wellbeing,” Sandell says.
Research benefits radiate throughout society
Besides producing top-level research, the professorship is expected to boost innovation and support the competitiveness of Finland and Europe as a whole. The expectation is that more and more inventions will come about in Viikki – be they individual molecules that revolutionise food or services that support cardiac health.
“An in-depth focus on people's everyday lives provides diverse opportunities for innovation,” Sandell sums up.
The knowledge produced by the professor will benefit all citizens and food industry stakeholders, as it will increase understanding of the role of food in wellbeing. In fact, the new position is aimed at broad-based impact in both academia and ordinary life.
“This theme is not limited to people of a specific age, but encompasses society as a whole.”