Thirteen PhD students from the group have defended.
Educational activities of the group include monthly "Sleep School" seminars that are open for all interested in sleep research. The group has arranged several training courses for both domestic and international students on differents aspects of sleep and methods used in sleep research.
The group also regularly hosts both international students (through ERASMUS, CIMO and Fullbright programs) as well as visiting researchers.
Tarja Stenberg (née Porkka-Heiskanen) is the group leader. She is responsible for the planning of the scientific activities as well as attracting funds for the research.
Her main scientific interests are the cellular level mechanisms of sleep homeostasis. Her work has established adenosine as a key molecule in regulation of sleep homeostasis
She is the former president of the Brain Research Society of Finland and coordinator of three EU funded Frame Work Program consortia.
She is active in developing new teaching methods and gives numerous lectures on different aspects of sleep for both professionals and laymen.
She is interested in the role of microglia in regulation of sleep/sleep loss and developmental aspects of sleep, including the effect of sleep on neural plasticity.
She leads her own research project: "Microglial activation in sleep loss" -and is responsible for the scientific development of the zebra fish project.
In addition, she supervises the practical scientific work in the laboratory and mentors one PhD student and two Master's students.
She defended year 2009 on the topic
She is a Masters student through the ERASMUS program, interested in learning the methods of sleep research. She is studying, mentored by Dr. Wigren, the changes in microglial shape and mobility during different periods and types of sleep restriction in rodents. She is preparing a masters thesis on the topic for the University of Freiburg.
She is conducting research on the zebra fish model of sleep regulation, using it in long-term light/nutrition experiments, combined with sleep restriction. These studies have been funded by an European Union Grant
Aho V, Vainikka M, Puttonen H, Ikonen H, Panula P, Porkka-Heiskanen T. Wigren H-K,
Sleep Team Helsinki has educated many alumni. In addition to scientific education, we include introductions to Finnish way of life for our foreign students.
This is introduction to cross country skiing.
Her scientific interest is the relationship between sleep regulation and depression. She is preparing a dissertation on this topic, and has published already four articles. She studied and developed an animal model of depression, which reflects the consequences of early life stress on behavior and metabolism in adolescence and adulthood.
Santangeli O, Lehtikuja H, Palomäki E, Wigren HK, Paunio T, Porkka-Heiskanen T.
The theses combined experimental sleep restriction studies to epidemiological studies in a unique way. She was able to show that sleep restriction launches defense reactions, which include activation of cytokines, and induce a state of low-grade inflammation. Also lipid metabolism was affected by sleep restriction. These data formed a basis for the hypothesis, that the epidemiologically evidenced connection between short/bad quality sleep may be induced via activation of a low grade inflammation.
She is working as a visiting researcher from
She was a post doctoral researcher. Worked on project clarifying the immunological consequences of restricted sleep. Returned to University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she works as a
He works as a visiting researcher and consultant. Defended year 2016 on the topic
He defended year 2005 on the topic
She is studying genetics of sleep, supervised by Professor Tiina Paunio, and Tarja Stenberg as a co-mentor. Her latest publication shows that melatonin receptor variants are associated with job-related exhaustion in shift workers.
She defended year 2010 on the topic
She worked in the group as a visiting researcher. She was the PI in the nitric oxide project and responsible for the many important findings in that project. She contributed significantly also to the adenosine and energy metabolism studies. She works presently as an instructor at
Kalinchuk,A., Lu,Y., Stenberg,D., Rosenberg,P.A., Porkka-Heiskanen,T.,
Kalinchuk, A., Stenberg,D., Rosenberg, P., Porkka-Heiskanen,T.,
He prepares his dissertation while working at the
van Leeuwen WM, Hublin C, Sallinen M, Härmä M, Hirvonen A, Porkka-Heiskanen T.
van Leeuwen WM, Lehto M, Karisola P, Lindholm H, Luukkonen R, Sallinen M, Härmä M, Porkka-Heiskanen T, Alenius H.
He worked in the group as a Marie Curie fellow, visiting researcher. He was responsible for the studies on nitric oxide electrophysiology. He works presently as senior researcher at
Kostin A, Stenberg D, Porkka-Heiskanen T.
Kostin A, Stenberg D, Kalinchuk AV, Porkka-Heiskanen T.
He is a regularly visiting
Lelkes Z, Porkka-Heiskanen T, Stenberg D.
He defended year 2013 on the project
She worked as economist and was responsible for administration of two EU-funded consortia coordinated by Dr. Stenberg. Retired.
She defended year 2003 on the topic
He worked as laboratory technician and specialist in animal care. He also acted as language reviser for the group, as well as took care of briefing of the new laboratory members and students. Retired.
She defended year 2012 on the topic
He worked with the pharmacological depression model, clomipramine treatment, and showed that behavioral depression in clomipramine treated rats is associated with changes in sleep, particularly REM sleep, as well as adenosine, BDNF and nitric oxide levels.
Savelyev SA, Rantamäki T, Rytkönen KM, Castren E, Porkka-Heiskanen T.
She prepared here Master's theses "Solunulkoisen adenosiinin lähde etuaivojen pohjaosassa univajeen aikana" mentored by Dr. Wigren and gained her degree year 2017.
He defended year 2004
He defended year 1999 on the topic
She defended year 2007 on the topic
He defended year 2013 on the topic “
She was instrumental in setting up the early version of the zebra fish recording system and developing methods for sleep restriction in this species.
Aho V, Vainikka M, Puttonen H, Ikonen H, Panula P, Porkka-Heiskanen T. Wigren H-K,
She defended year 2012 on the topic
She defended year 2009 on the topic