The Academy of Finland has elected academy professors, academy research fellows, and postdoctoral researchers. Out of the ten academy professors elected by the Academy of Finland, two are working at the Faculty of Science; Matti Lassas and Kari Rummukainen.
Matti Lassas is studying inversion problems, which usually refer to finding unknown structures through indirect measurements. The applications aim at discovering various types of stroke, for example, and mapping natural resources underground. Lassas is a pofessor studying applied mathematics, and he is head of the Academy of Finland’s centre of excellence on inversion problems.
Kari Rummukainen studies gravitational waves that are caused by a collision between two black holes. The specifications for the gravitational-wave telescope LISA, which will be launched into space in 2034, are also part of his research. Rummukainen is professor of theoretical particle physics.
The Academy of Finland elected a total of ten academy professors for the term 1 January 2019-31 December 2023. Six of them work at the University of Helsinki.
Academy professors are researchers appointed by the Academy of Finland; they are internationally respected scientists and scholars, in whose abilities in developing research and a creative research environment the Academy trusts. The post of academy professor is the most valued position of the research posts funded by the Academy of Finland.
Five researchers at the Faculty of Science received the funding for academy research fellows: Eduardo Maeda from the Department of Geosciences and Geography, Mikael Ehn from the Centre of Atmospheric Sciences, Tapio Helin from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Mirkka Sarparanta from the Department of Chemistry, and Tuomo Valkonen from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
The funding for postdoctoral researchers was awarded to six researchers at the Faculty of Science: Funding was given to Federico Bianchi from the Centre of Atmospheric Sciences (INAR), Huber Flores from the Department of Computer Science, Jenni Kontkanen, INAR, Joel Rybicki, Department of Computer Science, Juha Saarinen, Department of Geosciences and Geography, and Miikka Tallavaara, Department of Geosciences and Geography.