People

I am the Waterborne Pathogens Group leader and Professor in the field of Environmental Health at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki as a part of HOH Helsinki One Health Network. I have gained my expertise on detection methods and infection risk assessment of microbes in water during my work at the Water Microbiology Laboratory, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, where I co-affiliate as a Chief Specialist. I hold an adjunct professorship in molecular water microbiology at the University of Eastern Finland, where I gained my PhD on Environmental microbiology in 2010. My research interests involve molecular detection and the characterization of health-related microbes and zoonotic pathogens in water.

I’m set to begin my PhD in 2026 with the Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, studying sustainable, phage based ways to tackle antimicrobial resistance in the environment. My background is in microbiology and sustainable biotechnology. During my master’s, I worked on developing a Caenorhabditis elegans model to study anti-infectives against Salmonella. Outside the lab, I do “kitchen science,” which usually ends in edible disasters.

I am a doctoral researcher and epidemiologist, and in my PhD project (), I examine how wastewater and environmental surveillance systems can be used to prevent waterborne epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, I worked in the preparedness and response team at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, focusing on national and international epidemics and infectious disease surveillance. Currently, I serve as an expert for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in the “Wastewater Surveillance for Africa” initiative. I have extensive experience in assessing capacity needs related to health system strengthening, particularly in low-resource settings. I am passionate about applying research to reduce health disparities and create sustainable solutions for vulnerable communities. It is important to me that my work is both meaningful and practically impactful.

I am a recent graduate with a master’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of Eastern Finland. In my studies, I specialized in environmental health and technology, with an additional interest in environmental law and sustainability. In my bachelor’s thesis, I examined wastewater surveillance of the coronavirus, and in my master’s thesis, I developed wastewater monitoring methods for detecting Clostridioides difficile bacteria. Since graduating, I have continued working with environmental and wastewater surveillance of pathogens in the Waterborne Pathogens research group and in the water microbiology team at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

I am doing my Ph.D. in the Waterborne Pathogens Group, working on a project about zoonoses in sheep pastures. I have a background in microbiology and have previously worked in the Finnish Food Authority researching microplastics in agricultural lands. In addition, I did my master's thesis about the virulence factors of Streptococcus pneumoniae and the effect of antibodies against the virulence factors. I am interested in pathogens that affect the health of animals and humans. I enjoy research because I like learning more and increasing my knowledge. 

I am a PhD researcher in the Waterborne Pathogens Group working on topics related to microbial source tracking, microbial risks in watersheds and ruminant intestinal pathogens. I have background in biochemistry and I have gained experience on environmental microbiology research as well as molecular biology methods, qPCR and QMST while working at Water Microbiology Laboratory, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. My research interests include topics around the shared health of environment, humans and animals, such as  zoonotic and environmental pathogens, and the risks they cause in the changing environment. 

I am a PhD student studying the use of wastewater-based epidemiology in monitoring of zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. I have worked as a researcher in the Water Microbiology Laboratory in the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, where I broadened my knowledge of water microbiology and participated in developing of molecular methods for environmental samples. During my MSc studies I explored bacterial host range of antimicrobial resistance genes in West African wastewaters and found my passion in One Health research. It is also important for me that the research I do is meaningful and contributes to securing population health. 

I am a project planner working on a microbial community study at the Waterborne Pathogens Group. I have earlier worked with DNA-sequencing based bacterial community studies and now concentrating more on virus communities in water. I am also a PhD student at the Doctoral Programme in Environmental Physics, Health and Biology, University of Eastern Finland, and my research topic is management of microbial quality of drinking water. I am experienced in analyzing bacteria and bacteriophages in water using cultivation methods as I was earlier doing research at the Water Microbiology Laboratory, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. My research interests include interactions between different microbes and pathogens in changing environment and management of health-related risks concerning drinking water.

I am a postdoctoral researcher with a Ph.D. on water and health related microbiology. I conducted my doctoral studies on monitoring of microbial quality of bathing water, at Water Microbiology Laboratory of Expert Microbiology Unit at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (Supervisor: Associate Professor Tarja Pitkänen). My research interest includes indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci), microbial source tracking, virus indicators, beach monitoring, Vibrio cholerae, Cyanobacteria, microbial ecology, antibiotic-resistant bacteria/genes, wastewater based epidemiology, drinking water distribution system, and biofilm production.

I am working as a substitute research technician in the Waterborne Pathogens research group. I graduated as a microbiologist from the University of Helsinki in 2024. During my master’s studies, I focused on food and environmental microbiology as well as medical microbiology. I have long been interested in environmental health, so it has been fascinating to see how environmental health research is conducted at the University of Helsinki.

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