People

The multidisciplinary staff in the Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics research groups include physicians, pharmacists, chemists, geneticists and other laboratory personnel.

For contact details, see the University of Helsinki People finder.

Janne Backman, MD, PhD, professor

Janne Backman, MD, PhD, Professor in Clinical Pharmacology and Individual Medicine, is the head of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and the principal investigator of a research group focusing on pharmacokinetics and drug-drug interactions.

Janne Backman UH research profile | Janne Backman Twitter

Article "Janne Back­man un­cov­ers the reas­ons be­hind drug in­ter­ac­tions"

 

 

Mikko Niemi, MD, PhD, professor

Mikko Niemi, MD, PhD, Professor in Pharmacogenetics, is the principal investigator of a research group focusing on the pharmacogenetics of drugs. He is also the director of the Individualized Drug Therapy Research Program (INDIVIDRUG).

Mikko Niemi UH research profile | Mikko Niemi Twitter | Mikko Niemi Wikipedia profile (in Finnish)

Article "Mikko Niemi un­locked the sig­ni­fic­ance of trans­porter pro­teins"

Outi Lapatto-Reiniluoto, MD, PhD

Outi Lapatto-Reiniluoto, MD, PhD, specialist in internal medicine and clinical pharmacology and pharmacotherapy, special competence in medical education. She is the head of the department in HUS Pharmacy and works as a medical specialist in the Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics research groups as well as is directing junior clinical pharmacologists in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology. E-mail: firstname.lastname@hus.fi

Outi Lapatto-Reiniluoto UH research profile

 

Laura Aurinsalo, MD

Laura Aurinsalo, MD, Doctoral researcher in the Clinical Pharmacology research group. Her research focuses on drug-drug interactions and CYP metabolism phenotyping.

Laura Aurinsalo UH research profile

Feng Deng, PhD, MScPharm

Feng Deng, PhD, MScPharm, works as a postdoctoral researcher in the Pharmacogenetics research group.

Feng Deng UH research profile

Anne Filppula, PhD, MScPharm, MPharmSc

Anne Filppula, PhD, MScPharm, MPharmSc, works as a postdoctoral researcher in the Pharmacogenetics research group.

Anne Filppula UH research profile

Katja Halme, research nurse

Katja Halme works as a research nurse in the Pharmacogenetics research group.

Päivi Hirvensalo, MScPharm

Päivi Hirvensalo, MScPharm, works as a doctoral researcher in the Pharmacogenetics research group.

Päivi Hirvensalo UH research profile

Taavi Kaartinen, MD

Taavi Kaartinen, MD, is a PhD student in the Clinical Pharmacology research group.

Taavi Kaartinen UH research profile

Helinä Kahma, MScPharm

Helinä Kahma, MScPharm, Doctoral researcher in the Clinical Pharmacology research group.

Helinä Kahma UH research profile

Jenni Keskitalo, MD

Jenni Keskitalo, MD, is a PhD student in the Pharmacogenetics research group. E-mail: firstname.lastname@hus.fi

Jenni Keskitalo UH research profile

Minna Lehtisalo, MD

Minna Lehtisalo, MD, Doctoral researcher in the Pharmacogenetics research group.

Minna Lehtisalo UH research profile

Kaisa Litonius, MD, MA

Kaisa Litonius, MD, MA, Doctoral researcher in the Pharmacogenetics research group.

Ivar Lönnberg, BScMed

Ivar Lönnberg, BScMed, is a PhD student in the Pharmacogenetics research group.

Anssi Mykkänen, MD

Anssi Mykkänen, MD, Doctoral researcher in the Pharmacogenetics research group.

Mikko Neuvonen, MScChem

Mikko Neuvonen, MScChem, works as a analytical chemist in the Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics laboratory.

Aleksi Olkkola, BScMed

Aleksi Olkkola, BScMed, is a PhD student in the Clinical Pharmacology research group.

Johanna Kiiski, PhD

Johanna Kiiski, PhD, is a geneticist and post-doctoral researcher in the Pharmacogenetics research group.

ORCID ID

 

Katriina Tarkiainen, MD, PhD, Specialist

Katriina Tarkiainen, MD, PhD, BScPharm, works as a medical specialist in the Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics research groups. E-mail: firstname.lastname@hus.fi

Mika Kurkela, chemist
Marie-Noëlle Paludetto, PharmD, PhD

Marie-Noëlle Paludetto, PharmD, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher in the Clinical Pharmacology research group led by Prof. Janne Backman. Her current work focuses on studying CYP direct and time-dependent inhibition in vitro and predicting drug-drug interactions in silico. Email: marie-noelle.paludetto@helsinki.fi

 

Marie-Noëlle Paludetto UH research profile | ORCID

Laura Tervala, laboratory nurse
Kreetta Hämäläinen, MSc

Kreetta Hämäläinen, MSc, Doctoral researcher in the Pharmacogenetics research group.

Suvi-Kukka Tuomi, MSc

Suvi-Kukka Tuomi, MSc (Biomedicine), Doctoral researcher in the Pharmacogenetics research group.

Sofia Khan, PhD, Docent

Sofia Khan, PhD, docent, works as a research and development scientist in the Clinical Pharmacology research group.

ORCID ID

Jani Katajapuhjo, BScMed, MScPharm

Jani Katajapuhjo, BScMed, MScPharm, Doctoral researcher in the Clinical Pharmacology research group

Jari Lilja, MD, PhD

Jari Lilja, MD, PhD, works as a clinical instructor in the Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics research groups.

Recent alumni

Phd students

  • Matti Itkonen, MD, PhD (2019)
  • Mikko Holmberg, MD, PhD (2018)
  • Katriina Tarkiainen, MD, PhD, BScPharm (2017)
  • Anne Filppula, PhD,  MScPharm, MPharmSc (2014)
  • Tiina Karonen, MD, PhD (2012)
  • Tuija Tapaninen, MD, PhD, MScPharm (2012)
  • Johanna Honkalammi, MD, PhD (2011)
  • Xiaoqiang Xiang, PhD (2011)
  • Samuel Fanta, MD, PhD (2009)
  • Marja Pasanen, MD, PhD (2008)
  • Aleksi Tornio, MD, PhD (2008)