Grants awarded

EarlyAD project takes a groundbreaking approach for the research of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by using idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) as a model for early stages of AD providing a rare chance to study AD before symptoms appear. The project utilizes brain biopsies, cerebrospinal fluid, blood and imaging data from iNPH and AD patients for the discovery of disease mechanisms and discovery of novel biomarkers related to immunometabolic alterations. Strong collaboration between the university and hospitals, expertise in advanced tissue function measurement techniques, genetics, and imaging technologies and integration of multi-level data with clinical information offer a unique opportunity to study disease mechanisms and identification of new biomarkers.

In osteoporosis, bone loss results in fractures. Muscle loss, sarcopenia, often coexists and contributes to skeletal fragility. We study patients with monogenic osteoporosis to understand contribution of various signaling pathways for musculoskeletal health. Our translational study applies clinical and imaging tools, bone and muscle biopsies, and biomarkers to provide in-depth clinical, tissue-level, cellular and molecular data on skeletal and muscular characteristics in affected patients. We use various cell-based strategies and animal models for detailed musculoskeletal analyses, drug discovery and pre-clinical treatment trials. Our goal is to elucidate disease mechanisms in osteoporosis and interconnections between osteoporosis and sarcopenia.

A child’s early motor development is important for all subsequent development, but the lack of objective assessment methods has formed a global bottleneck for improving the well-being of young children. The MOPO project uses a new Finnish innovation, the MAIJU smart jumpsuit, to measure a child’s motor development during natural play in home conditions. The project investigates factors affecting a child’s motor development and how motor development affects a child’s sleep or later cognitive development. The MOPO project also explores the potential of smart clothing in healthcare, increasing regional and cultural equality, and supporting clinical research. If successful, the MOPO project could change practices in healthcare and other child-related activities, both in Finland and internationally.

The aim of the study is to develop a drug therapy to halt the degeneration process in retinal dystrophies. Specifically, we aim to prove our hypothesis on the cause-and-effect relationships of the mechanisms of action of our drug treatment candidate and to obtain more information on the efficacy of the treatment, especially in retinal diseases related to the Finnish disease heritage. Although the first clinical trial should be carried out with oral drugs to speed up the process, the project is also working on innovative eye delivery techniques so that in the future, drugs to retinal diseases can be administered directly into the eye. The treatment based on drug repurposing can lead to clinical applications on an accelerated schedule compared to the traditional drug development pipeline.

Tuberculosis is an infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which leads to more than 1.5 million deaths annually. The use of the current vaccine, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), is limited by its side effects and limited efficacy. The aim of the research project is to develop a new mRNA vaccine against tuberculosis. The project is based on our own research, which has led to the identification of several protective vaccine antigens in a zebrafish model of tuberculosis. On this basis, we have developed an mRNA vaccine, the efficacy, safety and the resulting immune response of which we are studying in mammalian models of tuberculosis. The aim of the project is to enable clinical trials of the vaccine in humans. 

Loisto is a joint project by Zodiak – Center for New Dance, Cirko – Centre for New Circus and Dance House Helsinki to develop the sustainable internationalisation of dance and circus. During 2025-2028 the project will entrench new operating models for effective distribution and promotion of works, long-term co-production and touring, and strengthening the Finnish production environment. Thereby we build an internationalised, artistically and productionally high-quality and economically sustainable future operating environment for Finnish dance and circus. The project puts into practice the results achieved during the proof-of-concept project in 2022-2024.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of non-traumatic neurological disability affecting young adults. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is the outstanding risk factor of MS. We will analyze, whether particular variants of this common virus underly the development of MS. A part of the patients and controls will be collected from Kyrönmaa, which is a high-risk geographic focus of MS. In collaboration with Finnish biobanks we will also perform a state-of-the-art analysis of EBV antibodies in MS patients and controls. We will use a more precise antibody detection methodology than in previous studies and control for confounders such as genetic factors and other viral infections, which may affect EBV antibody levels.

Regulatory RNA genes are genes that regulate the expression of other genes. Often, such regulatory RNA genes mutate rapidly, with no homologs found in close relatives. In this research, we will screen recent and ancient mutation clusters in the human genome and identify their impact on the origin of regulatory RNA genes using comparative genomic methods. This research will provide information on how new genetic information is generated and how gene regulation can change rapidly. In a broader context, this research will provide insights into diseases associated with dysfunctional gene regulation and how species receive genetic material to adapt to changing environments.

The research focuses on uterine leiomyomas and endometrial polyps. These common tumors cause significant morbidity for women and major economic burden on societies. Occasionally, they may also transform into malignancy, leiomyomas to leiomyosarcomas and polyps to endometrial cancer. The aim of this project is to continue our long-term efforts to reveal the molecular background of uterine tumors. We aim to identify the genetic changes that lead to tumor development, to understand the tumorigenic mechanisms of the identified alterations, and to develop new clinically translatable tools that benefit diagnostics and improve patient management.

Organisation and development of the Helsinki International Ballet Competition: e.g. shortening the interval between competitions from four to three years, reforming the rules of the competition and developing the competition into a forum for networking and employment as well as a training event.
Development of the ASKEL coaching project: supporting coaching of young Finnish dancers with high-quality coaching and encouraging them to participate in the competition.

Many brain disorders involve disturbances in synaptic connections between neurons, regulated in part by cell signaling mediated through the neurotrophin receptor TrkB. Our preliminary results suggest that a drop in brain temperature during sleep regulates neurotrophic signaling mechanisms, which may be disrupted in pathological conditions. This project aims to map these temperature-dependent mechanisms that influence neural plasticity and to investigate their significance for brain function using state-of-the-art research methods. The study will enhance our understanding of fundamental principles of brain function and may enable significant breakthroughs in the study of disease processes and the development of therapeutic interventions.ä.

Student scholarships of Erkko Upper Secondary School, Eero Erkko Scholarships, and J.H. Erkko Scholarships