People

MD, PhD, professor of pharmacology emeritus, group leader

Esa has published over 270 original articles and reviews in the fields of neuropsychopharmacology, biomedical alcohol research, neurobiology of addiction and brain diseases.

PhD (Pharm), Title of docent, University lecturer 

An expert on mouse behavioral pharmacology, Anni-Maija is a long time collaborator and a team member, and valuable support to everyone in the group needing help in behavioural experiment design and transgenic mouse colony maintenance.

She is also a principal investigator herself, currently mainly interested in metabotrobic glutamate receptors, and neuroinflammation in reward.

MSc (Translational medicine), Doctoral researcher

With a background in translational medicine and skilled in several neuroscientific techniques, Annika joined the lab in early 2020 to work with the midbrain neuron characterisation project. Currently, her own PhD project, co-supervised by Dr. Teemu Aitta-aho and mainly conducted in his , focuses on GABAA receptor modulation and drug responses.

Doctoral students

Lauri Elsilä 
Defended his on behavioural effects of LSD and addiction-relevant behavioural mouse models in 2025 and continues as a university lecturer at the department and joined Dr. Teemu Aitta-aho's in 2026.
Elina Nagaeva
Elina defended her on mouse midbrain somatostatin neurons in 2023. She's currently a postdoctoral fellow at Dr. Nathan Skene's at Imperial College London, UK.
Milo Grotell (né Siivonen)
Currently a clinically active medical doctor, Milo defended his on neurotoxicity and extrasynaptic GABA receptors in 2022.
Milica Maksimovic 
Defended her on mouse models for psychotic disorders in 2015, currently a Director and Global Regulatory Lead at .
Bjørnar den Hollander 
Defended his on novel amphetamine-type stimulants in 2015 and is currently a Medical Director at .
Kati Hellsten (née Saarelainen)
Defended her on benzodiazepine-sensitive GABAA receptors in 2015, nowadays she works as a specialist at .
Elena de Miguel (née Vashchinkina)
Defended her on tonic GABAergic inhibition in 2013, currently the Regional Laboratory Manager at in the Netherlands.
Teemu Aitta-aho 
Defended his on AMPA-type glutamate receptors in 2012, currently a university lecturer and a  at the University of Helsinki.
Anne Panhelainen 
Defended her on the interplay of the mesolimbic dopamine system and benzodiazepines in 2012, currently a Clinical Process Manager at .
Elli Leppä 
Defended her on parvalbumin-expressing GABA neurons in 2011, currently a Development Pharmacist at .
Tommi Möykkynen 
Defended his on ethanol and AMPA-type glutamate receptors in 2009, currently a at the University of Helsinki.
Saku Sinkkonen 
Defended his on the extrasynaptic GABAA receptors in 2005, currently an otology specialist and chief physician at .
Mikko Uusi-Oukari
A senior scientist and lab manager at the , Mikko defended his thesis on GABA receptors and ethanol intoxication in 1992.

Postdocs and visiting researchers and others

Mikhail Dron, visiting researcher, EDUFI research fellow 2020
Currently a junior researcher at .

Master's and medical students, research interns

Jani Lehto, master's student (translational medicine) 2021-2023
Liisa Ilkka, master's student (neuroscience) 2022-2023
Kari Kääntä, medical student 2021-2023
Ksenia Egorova, bachelor's student (molecular biosciences), intern 2022
Lauren van den Broecke, master's student (biomedical sciences), Erasmus intern 2022
Emma Enberg, master's student (neuroscience) 2020-2021
Essi Törrönen, master's student (neuroscience) 2020
Juliana Harkki, master's student (translational medicine) 2019-2020
Nuppu Korhonen, medical student 2019-2022
Alvar Martti, medical student 2019
Elina Hynninen, medical student 2018-2020
Ulla Rahijärvi, master's student (Drug Discovery and Development, Uni. Turku)  2017-2018  
Aleksi Olkkola, medical student, research rotation 2017 
Mikko Forss, medical student, research intern 2016-2017