COVID-19 seminars: Next seminar 24.5.2022 at 12

The seminars bring together Finnish researchers who are active in COVID-19 research and the general audience who are interested in COVID-19 related research. Check all the dates and keynote speakers on this site.

Welcome to the series of COVID-19 related research seminars at the University of Helsinki!

COVID-19 seminars will be organized once in a month. The seminars will feature keynote talks. The events are in English.

The seminars will be supported by the Faculty of Medicine and hosted by Professor Olli Vapalahti with co-hosts, Associate Professor Tarja Sironen and Postdoctoral Researcher Ravi Kant. Due to the current ongoing pandemic and recommendations by University of Helsinki, the seminars will be held in remote mode via Zoom.

Zoom-link for seminars: https://helsinki.zoom.us/j/65882013425?pwd=a2dBY1V5YjkrcTVDUTQwL3JFQ1pDZz09

Meeting ID: 658 8201 3425

Passcode: 123456

 

Upcoming seminars:

24.5. at 12

Research on SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging viruses at the Zoonosis Science Center (ZSC), Uppsala University, Sweden

Åke Lundkvist, Professor, Uppsala University, Sweden

 

Past seminars:

19.4. 

SARS-CoV-2: from genotype to phenotype

Dr. Bart Haagmans, Principal Investigator, Erasmus MC, The Netherlands

22.3.2022

Using sequences and phylodynamic models to understand SARS-CoV-2 introductions and spread

Dr Samantha Lycett, Infection & Immunity Division, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh

15.2.2022 

COVID-19 - the pathologists perspective

Jonas Kantonen, PhD Researcher, University of Helsinki, Pathologist, HUS

Spatiotemporal clustering patterns and sociodemographic determinants of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in Helsinki, Finland

Mika Siljander, University Researcher, University of Helsinki

25.1.2022 

Intranasal clinical candidate drug combination for SARS-CoV-2: Inhibiting cells to stop the virus 

Giuseppe Balistreri, Academy Research Fellow, University of Helsinki

An intranasally administered cross-neutralizing SH3 domain-derived antibody-mimetic efficiently blocks infection by SARS-CoV-2 and its emerging variants of concern

Anna Mäkelä, Senior Scientist, University of Helsinki

7.12.2021 

SARS-CoV-2 - a Global One Health Challenge

Tarja Sironen
, Associate Professor, University of Helsinki

 

T cells in the severe COVID-19 - the heros or the villains?

Eliisa Kekäläinen
, Docent, University of Helsinki

9.11.2021

Covid-19 vaccinations in children and adolescents

Mika Rämet, Professor, Director of Vaccine Research Center, Tampere University

Introduction, evolution, and circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in Finland

Teemu Smura, Postdoctoral researcher, University of Helsinki

5.10.2021 

SARS-CoV-2 immune responses and transmission

Jonas Klingström
, Professor, Karolinska Institutet

A mouse model of lethal respiratory dysfunction for SARS-CoV-2 infection

Esther Gan, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore

7.9.2021

Development of SARS-CoV-2 clinical laboratory diagnostics

Satu Kurkela, Chief Physician, HUS Diagnostic Center

SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccine-induced immunity

Laura Kakkola, Docent, University of Turku

26.5.2021 

Of mice and men? Sure, but don't forget the hamster...

A pathologist's view of some animal models for COVID-19


Anja Kipar, Professor, Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich

COVID modelling: examples of tasks in THL

Simopekka Vänskä,
Docent, University of Helsinki, Senior Researcher, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

13.4.2021 

What do we know about the impact of covid-19 vaccines?

Hanna Nohynek, Chief Physician, Unit: Infectious Diseases Control and Vaccines, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

COVID-19 and convalescent plasma: what have we learnt so far?

Heli J. Harvala, Medical Virology Consultant, NHS Blood and Transplant, Adjunct Professor in Molecular Virology, University of Turku

23.3.2021 

Engineered antibodies to combat COVID-19

Ilona Rissanen, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Helsinki

Substrate-selective protein secretion inhibition as a disease-agnostic strategy also against Covid-19

Ville Paavilainen, Docent, Group Leader, University of Helsinki

16.2.2021 

The COVID-19 host genetics initiative: a global effort to identify genetic factors of COVID-19 susceptibility, severity, and outcomes across > 200 studies worldwide

Andrea Ganna, EMBL-group leader at FIMM, University of Helsinki

Coagulation and inflammation - implications in COVID-19

Riitta Lassila, Professor in Coagulation Medicine, University of Helsinki

19.1.2021 

COVID-19 immunity

Ilkka Julkunen
, Professor, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku

Wastewater-based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2

Tarja Pitkänen, Associate Professor (environmental health), University of Helsinki, Chief Specialist, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare 

8.12.2020 

Adenovectored COVID-19 vaccine

Kalle Saksela, Professor, University of Helsinki

The Deparment of Virology



Hijacking the host cell molecular highways

Markku Varjosalo, Research Director, University of Helsinki

Research group: Molecular Systems Biology

10.11.2020 

Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 - are they there and for how long?

Jussi Hepojoki
, Academy Research Fellow, University of Helsinki

Research group: Viral Zoonooses Research Unit



Airborne transmission of viruses: aerosol dispersion in public places by fast assessment

Ville Vuorinen, Assistant Professor, Aalto University

6.10.2020

The dogs’ nose knows SARS-CoV-2

Anna Hielm-Björkman, Adjunct Professor, University of Helsinki

Research group: DogRisk

Low-density neutrophils in COVID-19

Tomas Strandin, Academy Research Fellow, University of Helsinki

Research group: Viral Zoonooses Research Unit

7.9.2020

Watch the recording in Unitube

Open Sesame: how SARS-CoV-2 enters and spreads in human cells

Giuseppe Balistreri, Academy Research Fellow, University of Helsinki

Research group: Viral Cell Biology 

Genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2

Teemu Smura, Senior Scientist, University of Helsinki

Research group: Viral Zoonooses Research Unit 

More information

Ravi Kant, Postdoctoral Reseacher, University of Helsinki

ravi.kant@helsinki.fi