People

Principal investigator, PhD students and collaborators.
Suvi Stolt

Suvi Stolt, PhD                                                                                    

Associate Professor in Speech and Language Pathology (Logopedics)

Prof. Stolt has a special interest in language acquisition process during the childhood years in different populations. Her research has focused on longitudinal follow-up studies on typical development in full-term children as well as on the language development of children born very preterm (<32 gestational weeks). 

Prof. Stolt is a principal investigator of the following studies 'Clear Path for the Language Development of Very Preterm Children (Pikkukeskosen kielipolku]', ´Auditory Environment by Parent of Preterm Infants. Language Development Eye Movements, part II (APPLE II),  'The validation and norming study of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories III' (the FinCDI III Study; LEINIKKI Study), and 'The norming study of the Finnish short form versions of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories' (the FinCDI-SF Study; Sanaseula Study).

Research database TUHAT

Research gate

ORCID: 0000-0002-6029-5459
Laura Lehtiniemi

Laura Lehtiniemi, MA

Postgraduate student in Speech and Language Pathology (Logopedics)

MA Laura Lehtiniemi graduated from the University of Oulu in 2019 and she has been working as a clinical speech and language pathologist since then.

MA Lehtiniemi's PhD thesis is part of the FinCDI-SF Study (Sanaseula Study) and FinCDI III Study (LEINIKKI Study). The focus of her thesis is on the longitudinal development of language skills during the years just before schooling begins. She will also investigate the effect of background factors on the language ability and the possible association with language and developmental behavior of pre-school aged children. 

Laura Lehtiniemi recieved a 4-year salaried position for her PhD studies from the doctoral program of Congition, Learning, Instruction and Communication (CLIC), University of Helsinki at the beginning of 2024.
Eveliina Joensuu

Eveliina Joensuu, MA

Postgraduate student in Speech and Language Pathology (Logopedics)

Eveliina Joensuu graduated from the University of Oulu in 2015. Throughout her undergraduate studies she has been interested in research projects in the multidisciplinary field of logopedics. Now Eveliina is performing her PhD studies in the University of Helsinki. She is also working as a clinical speech and language pathologist in a health clinic.

MA Joensuu’s PhD thesis is part of the multidisciplinary cohort study called PIPARI (The Development and Functioning of Very Low Birth Weight Infants from Infancy to School Age). The focus of her thesis is on the possible association between the features of early language development and later literacy and language skills in children born very preterm.

Eveliina Joensuu recieved a 4-year salaried position for her PhD studies from the doctoral program of Congition, Learning, Instruction and Communication (CLIC), University of Helsinki from the beginning of 2020. 
Riikka Mustonen

Riikka Mustonen, MA

Postgraduate student in Speech-Language Pathology (Logopedics)

Riikka Mustonen graduated from the University of Helsinki in 2010, and has been working since then as a clinical speech and language pathologist in a health clinic and in the field of child psychiatry.

MA Mustonen is preparing her PhD thesis in the FinCDI III Study (LEINIKKI Study). The focus of her study is on the possible association between background factors (reading, telling stories, singing to a child and screen time of a child and parent) and language skills in pre-school aged children.

Riikka Mustonen's PhD study is supported by a 4-year grant from Finnish Cultural Foundation. 
Sirpa Tarvainen

Sirpa Tarvainen, MA

Postgraduate student in Speech and Language Pathology (Logopedics)

MA Sirpa Tarvainen has a clinical background as a speech and language therapist. In addition, she has worked as the chair of the Finnish Association of Speech and Language Therapists.

MA Tarvainen is preparing her PhD thesis on oral language comprehension interventions in children and adolescents with language disorder or difficulties.  

Sirpa Tarvainen’s PhD study is supported by Olvi-Foundation. She is also involved in a project examining intervention features related to the efficacy of oral language comprehension interventions funded by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela).
Marianna Visapää

Marianna Visapää, MA

Postgraduate student in Speech and Language Pathology (Logopedics)

MA Marianna Visapää graduated from the University of Helsinki in 2010 and has been working since then as a clinical speech and language pathologist in the field of peadiatric neurology. 

MA Visapää's PhD thesis is part the FinCDI-SF Study (Sanaseula Study). The focus in her study is on very early pre-reading skills and the associations between early pre-reading skills and emerging language ability during the childhood years.
Susanna Surakka

Susanna Surakka, MA

Postgraduate student in Speech and Language Pathology (Logopedics)

MA Susanna Surakka graduated from the University of Helsinki in 2015 and she has been working since then as a clinical speech and language pathologist. 

MA Surakka's PhD thesis is part the FinCDI-SF Study (Sanaseula Study). The focus in her study is on the early screening methods, the relationship between cognitive and language development, and stability in language development between 2;0 and 5;0 years of age.
Anna Markkula

Anna Markkula, MA

Postgraduate student in Speech and Language Pathology (Logopedics)

MA Anna Markkula graduated from the University of Oulu in 2020 and she has been working since then as a clinical speech and language pathologist.

MA Markkula's PhD thesis is part of the Pikkukeskosen kielipolku research project [Clear Path for the Language Development of Very Preterm Children]. The focus in her study is on examining the effectiveness of a language intervention for very preterm born children with weak language skills.

Anna Markkula recieved a 4-year salaried position for her PhD studies from the doctoral program of Congition, Learning, Instruction and Communication (CLIC), University of Helsinki at the beginning of 2023. 
Eva Ståhlberg-Forsén

Eva Ståhlberg-Forsén, PhD

Post doctoral researcher

PhD Eva Ståhlberg-Forsén has a long experience as a clinical speech-language pathologist. Her doctoral research focused on early language environment and lexical abilities of very preterm children, and the usability of new methods in assessing language environment and lexical processing. Eva defended her thesis in 2023. As a post doctoral researcher, she continues to investigate the usability and validity of screening methods and eye tracking based lexical processing tasks in assessing early lexical abilities of very preterm children. 

Eva's post doctoral research is part of the Pikkukeskosen kielipolku research project [Clear Path for the Language Development of Very Preterm Children] and part of the APPLE II Study. 
PhDs defended in the ELD Group
  • Dr Suvi-Maria Vehkavuori. 2021. Early lexicon -association to later language skills and screening. 
  • Dr Eija Aalto. 2023. Phonological skills in children acquiring Finnish at 3;6 and the associations to lexical, auditory word recognizition and pre-reading skills.
  • Dr Eva Ståhlberg-Forsén. 2023. Language environment and parent-infant close contact in the neonatal intensive care unit, and early lexical abilities of very preterm children. 
Graduate students

In 2022, over 40 master's theses have been done / are currently in process, in the studies included to the Early Language Development Group.
Group members / Post-doctoral Researchers, Collaborators

Clear Path for the Language Development of Very Preterm Children (Pikkukeskosen kielipolku):

  • Post-doctoral researcher, Dr Kaisa Kanerva, University of Helsinki
  • Post-doctoral researcher, Dr Eva Ståhlberg-Forsén, University of Helsinki
  • Doctoral student Anna Markkula, University of Helsinki
  • Research assistants Hodan Ali, Anniina Taavitsainen, Anne-Maria Leskinen, Emilia Takaluoma and Emma Simberg, University of Helsinki
  • Research nurse Kaisa Jaakkonen, Helsinki University Hospital
  • Research nurse Sari Rajakangas, Helsinki University Hospital
  • Dr, Docent Riikka Pyhälä-Neuvonen, University of Helsinki
  • Dr Eino Partanen, University of Helsinki
  • Dr Petriina Munck, University of Helsinki
  • Prof. Jukka Leppänen, University of Turku
  • Prof. Mirjam Kalland, University of Helsinki
  • Prof. Minna Huotilainen, University of Helsinki
  • Dr Marjo Metsäranta, Helsinki University Hospital

The FinCDI-SF Study (Sanaseula Study) and FinCDI III Study (LEINIKKI Study):

  • Post-doctoral Researcher Suvi-Maria Vehkavuori
  • Ass. prof. Nina Gram Garmann, University of Oslo, Norway
  • Prof. Tiia Tulviste, University of Tartu, Estonia
  • Dr. Astra Schults, University of Tartu, Estonia
  • Ass. prof. Jelena Kuvac Kraljevic, University of Zagreb, Croatia
  • Dr, docent Mårten Eriksson, University of Gävle, Sweden
  • Dr. Ritva Torppa, University of Helsinki, Finland
  • Doctoral students MA Susanna Surakka, MA Marianna Visapää and MA Riikka Mustonen
  • Senior researchers (2nd supervisors of PhDs): Dr Katri Saaristo-Helin, Dr Petriina Munck, Dr, Docent Ritva Torppa

The APPLE-II Study:

  • Prof. Liisa Lehtonen, Turku University Hospital, Finland
  • MD, postgraduate student Anette Aija, Turku University Hospital, Finland
  • MD Liis Toome, Tallinn Children's Hospital, Estonia
  • MA, Clinical speech-language pathologist Birgit Kaasik, Tallinn Children's Hospital, Estonia
  • Dr Sari Ahlqvist-Björkroth, University of Turku, Finland
  • Dr Jukka Leppänen, University of Tampere, Finland
  • Dr Reija Latva, Tampere University Hospital, Finland
  • Doctoral student Eva Ståhlberg-Forsén