Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM)

A portrait photo of a person with short dark hair, glasses, and a burgundy sweater, smiling with hands lightly folded. The background is dark. At the top right, the FIMM and HiLIFE logos are displayed. Text on the image reads: “Rafa Najumudeen – ERC Consolidator Grant” and “Warm congratulations!” At the bottom are the EU and ERC logos alongside the University of Helsinki logo.

Even as days grow short, there’s great news to share! FIMM-EMBL Group Leader @rafabolism.bsky.social has been awarded a highly competitive ERC Consolidator Grant for studying nutrient acquisition in cancer cells. Warm congratulations on this outstanding achievement!
www.helsinki.fi/en/news/life...

A celebratory graphic with a light blue background. Large white text reads “Celebrating FIMM Researchers’ Grant Success.” Below, black text reads “The Research Council of Finland: 2025 Call for Clinical Research.” The University of Helsinki logo appears on the left, with the names “Nina Mars” and “Hanna Ollila” beneath it. On the right side of the image, a silver trophy is shown with metallic star-shaped confetti floating upward.

Warm congratulations to FIMM Group Leaders @hannaollila.bsky.social & Nina Mars, who both received funding for their collaborative projects from the Research Council of Finland's thematic call aimed at strengthening clinical research!
www.aka.fi/en/about-the...

A gold-and-white Finnish honor medal with a blue ribbon is shown against a winter landscape of snow-covered trees and frost-covered rock formations at sunrise or sunset.

Today, Finland is celebrating its 108th Independence Day. On this occasion, the President of the Republic, Alexander Stubb, has awarded Professor, Research Director Olli Kallioniemi the decoration of Knight First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland. Our warmest congratulations!

Announcement graphic for Jakob German's Doctoral Dissertation titled ‘Genetically-Informed Real-World Evidence and Trial Design.’ The graphic includes event details (12 December 2025 at 13:15, Oral and Dental Centre hall H3.034) and lists the opponent Linda Kachuri from Stanford University. On the right side, there is a portrait of Jakob German in a light-colored shirt.

Jakob German from @andganna.bsky.social's group @hilife-helsinki.bsky.social will defend his doctoral dissertation "Genetically-Informed Real-World Evidence and Trial Design on 12 Dec.
Linda Kachuri, Stanford University, will serve as the opponent. Welcome!
🔗 tapahtumat.helsinki.fi/en-FI/page/6...

Joint profiling of cell morphology and gene expression during in vitro neurodevelopment Molecular and morphological profiles of developing neurons in vitro uncover the cellular dynamics of human neurodevelopment and related disease.

Link to the @elife.bsky.social publication "Joint profiling of cell morphology and gene expression during in vitro neurodevelopment":
elifesciences.org/articles/102...

Painting a clearer picture of brain disorders | HiLIFE – Helsinki Institute of Life Science | University of Helsinki New study from the University of Helsinki shows that image-based phenotypic features from stem cell-derived neurons can reveal disease-relevant biology and genetic risk for brain disorders.

New study from @hkilpinen.bsky.social's lab shows that image-based phenotypic features from stem cell-derived neurons can reveal disease-relevant biology, opening up new possibilities for using cell morphology phenotypes to interpret GWAS findings.
www.helsinki.fi/en/hilife-he...

Graphic announcing the Maud Kuistila Award 2025, featuring a portrait of Aarno Palotie in a corridor and text offering congratulations.

Vuoden 2025 Maud Kuistilan palkinto on myönnetty FIMMin tutkimusjohtaja Aarno Palotielle. Lämpimät onnittelut!
Palotie on ohjannut ansiokkaasti lukuisia aloittelevia tutkijoita ja tukenut heidän urakehitystään myös väitöskirjan valmistuttua.
Muistosäätiön palkintotiedote: mkmsaatio.fi/1348-2/

Graphic announcing FIMM’s October Young Investigator of the Month, featuring a portrait of a young researcher and text reading ‘Toni Saari, Postoctoral Researcher.’

The FIMM Young Investigator for October 2025 is @saaritt.bsky.social. 🎉
Congratulations for a recent Neuropsychiology publication “Validity of telephone-administered word list learning measures for assessment of episodic memory in aging and Alzheimer's disease”!
www.helsinki.fi/en/hilife-he...

A teal FIMM congratulatory graphic featuring a vase of wildflowers on the left and text announcing the 2025 Cancer Foundation Finland grant recipients—Heidi Haikala, Caroline Heckman, Mika Kontro, Esa Pitkänen, and dissertation awardees Nemo Ikonen and Ankita Srivastava.

Warm congratulations to all FIMM-affiliated researchers receiving Cancer Foundation Finland's 2025 grants!
Thank you @syopasaatio.bsky.social for this vital support 👏.
Read more here: syopasaatio.fi/tutkimus/tut...

Logo of the Ellis Institute Finland and a text: We're hiring! Principal Investigators in artificial intelligence and machine learning research.

Come to Finland, join the @ellisinstitute.fi and @helsinki.fi as an Associate/Assistant/Full Professor in Computational Precision Health!
ELLIS Institute PI recruitment is open until Jan 12:
www.ellisinstitute.fi/PI-recruit-2...

Professor position description: www.ellisinstitute.fi/pi-positions...

How High-Throughput Screening Is Transforming Modern Drug Discovery This article explores how advances in automation, 3D cell models and AI are transforming high-throughput screening, driving faster and more predictive drug discovery.

This Technology Networks article provides a clear overview of how high-throughput screening (HTS) is evolving through advances in automation, AI-driven analysis and complex cell models. Read what our HTS expert Laura Turunen thinks about the topic 🔽
www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discove...

Announcement poster for a doctoral dissertation. On the left, bold white text reads “Linda Ottensmann” with the dissertation title: “The genetic architecture of the human plasma lipidome and its connection to disease risk.” Below are icons showing the date and time—20 November 2025 at 13:00—and the location—Haartman Institute, Lecture Hall 2. A dark teal banner highlights the opponent: Minna Kaikkonen-Määttä from the University of Eastern Finland. Logos of the University of Helsinki and FIMM appear at the bottom. On the right side of the poster, there is a circular framed photograph of a young woman with long light-brown hair, wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt, smiling slightly while standing indoors near a glass and metal staircase.

MSc @lottensmann.bsky.social will defend her doctoral dissertation "The genetic architecture of the human plasma lipidome and its connection to disease risk" @helsinki.fi on 20 Nov at 13:00. Prof. Minna Kaikkonen-Määttä will serve as the opponent. Welcome!
tapahtumat.helsinki.fi/en-FI/page/6...

Big congratulations to Tero Aittokallio for being recognized as one of the world's most highly cited researchers by @clarivateag.bsky.social for the third time in a row! 🎉
#HighlyCited2025
@hilife-helsinki.bsky.social @nordicembl.bsky.social
🔗https://clarivate.com/highly-cited-researchers/

Alnylam Becomes Newest Partner in FinnGen Consortium | FinnGen FinnGen is proud to welcome Alnylam Pharmaceuticals as its newest industry partner. As the 15th pharmaceutical company to join the public-private partnership, Alnylam brings world-leading expertise in...

We are proud to welcome Alnylam Pharmaceuticals as the 15th pharma company to join our public-private partnership! Alnylam brings world-leading expertise in RNAi therapeutics to the consortium, further enriching the scientific and translational potential of the study. www.finngen.fi/en/alnylam-b...

Genetic associations with educational fields - Nature Genetics Genome-wide analyses of 10 educational fields identify 17 associated loci. Analysis of genetic clustering across specializations identifies two key dimensions that show genetic overlap with personalit...

— Genetiikka vaikuttaa persoonallisuuteemme, ja persoonallisuutemme vaikuttaa siihen, mitä opiskelemme. Voimme nyt havaita näitä yhteyksiä selvemmin suoraan DNA:stamme, sanoo @andganna.bsky.social.
Linkki Nature Genetics -lehdessä julkaistuun tutkimukseen:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Geeneillä on yhteys opiskelualan valintaan | Helsingin yliopisto Uusi pohjoismainen tutkimus selvitti ensimmäistä kertaa geneettisten ja sosiaalisten tekijöiden merkitystä koulutuspolkujen muovautumisessa. Tutkimus osoitti, että geeneillä on pieni, mutta selkeästi ...

Se, mitä päätämme opiskella, on yksi elämän merkittävimmistä päätöksistä. Laaja pohjoismainen tutkimus osoitti ensimmäistä kertaa, että geeneillä on pieni, mutta selkeästi havaittavissa oleva yhteys opiskelualan valintaan.
@hilife-helsinki.bsky.social @helsinki.fi
www.helsinki.fi/fi/uutiset/g...

“Graphic announcement from FIMM congratulating Tero Aittokallio on receiving Research Council of Finland funding for a new Proof of Concept project titled ‘Patient-tailored, effective and safe combinatorial therapies’. The design features a bouquet of wildflowers in a vase framed by a white starburst shape on a teal background with the text ‘Warm congratulations to Tero Aittokallio!’.”

Congratulations to Tero Aittokallio on securing funding from the Research Council of Finland through its 2025 Proof of Concept call for his project "Patient-tailored, effective and safe combinatorial therapies"!
🔗 www.aka.fi/en/about-the...
@hilife-helsinki.bsky.social @nordicembl.bsky.social

Olli Kallioniemi stands holding his Biomedicum Helsinki medal in front of a glass wall and red curtain.

Warm congratulations to Prof. Olli Kallioniemi, who received the Biomedicum Helsinki Medal following his inspiring lecture "Data and AI Shaping the Future of Precision Medicine in Finland" at Biomedicum Helsinki Day 2025 on 29 October!
@hilife-helsinki.bsky.social

🔬 Building Bridges Through Science

How can international exchanges strengthen both research and community?

PhD student Iga Niemiec (@fimm-uh.bsky.social) and postdoc Ladislav Hovan (@ncmbm.bsky.social) share their experiences through the UiO:Life Science Internationalisation grant.

Promotional poster for Biomedicum Helsinki Day 2025. The event takes place on Wednesday, October 29, from 15:00 to 17:00 at Biomedicum Helsinki, Lecture Hall 2. The featured speaker is Olli Kallioniemi, giving the Biomedicum Helsinki Lecture 2025 titled “Data and AI Shaping the Future of Precision Medicine in Finland.” The image shows a portrait of Olli Kallioniemi against a dark background.

Biomedicum Helsinki Day 2025 this Wednesday!
Research Director, Prof. Olli Kallioniemi will deliver the Biomedicum Helsinki Lecture 2025: "Data and AI Shaping the Future of Precision Medicine in Finland.”
🔗https://biomedicum.com/participate/biomedicum-helsinki-day-2025/
@hilife-helsinki.bsky.social

A group photo of the speakers of the seminar together with the PIs of the Centre of Excellence.

The closing seminar of the FIMM-led Centre of Excellence in Complex Disease Genetics funded by the Research Council of Finland was held in Helsinki on Oct 22. The event brought together leading researchers to reflect on key discoveries and discuss the future of genomic and complex disease research.

Promotional graphic for the doctoral dissertation of Dimitrios Tsallos. The design features a teal background with a photo of Dimitrios Tsallos on the right, standing indoors and smiling with one hand resting on a railing. The text on the left reads: “Dimitrios Tsallos – Translational research strategies for optimizing treatment safety and efficacy in hematologic cancers.” The event is scheduled for 24 October 2025 at 13.00 in Haartman Institute, Lecture Hall 1. The opponent is listed as Sigrid S. Skånland from Oslo University Hospital, Norway. Logos of the University of Helsinki and the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) appear at the bottom.

FIMM dissertation!📢
Dimitrios Tsallos will defend his thesis "Translational research strategies for optimizing treatment safety and efficacy in hematologic cancers" @helsinki.fi on 24 Oct. Sigrid Skånland, Oslo University Hospital, will serve as the opponent.
🔗 tapahtumat.helsinki.fi/en-FI/page/6...

Promotional graphic announcing the FIMM September Young Investigator of the Month. The design has a teal background with white text reading “FIMM September Young Investigator of the Month!” On the right, there is a photo of Joseph Saad, identified below as a Doctoral Researcher. Logos of the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, and the University of Helsinki appear at the bottom.

The FIMM Young Investigator for September 2025 is
Joseph Saad, a Doctoral Researcher studying acute myeloid leukemia in Caroline Heckman's and Mika Kontro's research groups. Warm congratulations for his recent first author publication in Molecular Oncology! 🎉
🔗 www.helsinki.fi/en/hilife-he...

A woman stands beside a large vertical poster at the ASHG Annual Meeting 2025 in Boston. The poster announces the AJHG Award for Outstanding Trainee Publication, recognizing contributions to human genetics. It features the conference logo and photos of two awardees, Yu Fu, MSc, and Maria Francis Palafox, PhD. The woman smiles and gestures toward the poster inside a modern, glass-walled convention hall.

FIMM congratulates Doctoral Researcher Yu Fu who has been awarded the @ajhgnews.bsky.social Award for Outstanding Trainee Publication this week @ #ASHG25!
Yu's awarded publication: Role of X chromosome and dosage-compensation mechanisms in complex trait genetics.
www.ashg.org/publications...

Promotional graphic for Gabin Drouard’s doctoral defense. The design features a teal background with a photo of Gabin Drouard standing outdoors in a snowy landscape, wearing a dark coat and scarf. Text on the left reads: “Gabin Drouard – Twin Designs and Multi-omics: A Paired Approach to Unraveling Sources of Health Variation. 23 October 2025 at 13.00, Biomedicum Helsinki, Lecture hall 1. Opponent: Ruth Loos, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.” Logos of the University of Helsinki and the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) appear at the bottom.

Upcoming FIMM dissertation! 📢
Gabin Drouard will defend his thesis "Twin Designs and Multi-omics - A Paired Approach to Unraveling Sources of Health Variation" @helsinki.fi on 23 Oct.
Prof. Ruth Loos, University of Copenhagen, will serve as the opponent.
🔗 tapahtumat.helsinki.fi/en-FI/page/6...

Tekoälystä tukea naisten terveyttä edistäviin diagnostiikkapalveluihin | Helsingin yliopisto Tekoäly (AI) voi merkittävästi lisätä naisten elintärkeiden diagnostiikkapalveluiden saatavuutta vähäresurssisissa ympäristöissä. Tämä kuitenkin onnistuu vain, jos lisäksi investoidaan infrastruktuuri...

Tekoäly voi merkittävästi lisätä naisten elintärkeiden diagnostiikkapalveluiden saatavuutta vähäresurssisissa ympäristöissä, kunhan lisäksi investoidaan infrastruktuuriin, kouluttamiseen ja paikallisten yhteisöjen osallistamiseen, toteavat N. Linder & J. Lundin:
www.helsinki.fi/fi/uutiset/t...

AI for equitable diagnostics in women’s health | University of Helsinki Artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly improve access to life-saving diagnostics for women’s health in low-resource settings—but only when paired with investments in infrastructure, workforce ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly improve access to life-saving diagnostics for women’s health in low-resource settings—but only when paired with investments in infrastructure, workforce development and community engagement. New @bmj.com collection paper:
www.helsinki.fi/en/news/heal...

💥 New preprint & our first RCT! 💥

Does an extremely high or low BMI polygenic score influence weight loss after a diet intervention?

GENEROOS is a 6-month randomized diet vs. control trial testing if genetic predisposition to higher BMI affects weight loss in overweight adults

How ageing changes our genes — huge epigenetic atlas gives clearest picture yet A map of DNA methylation changes in human organs could help researchers to discover more targets for anti-ageing therapies.

A preprint on ageing-related epigenetic changes, co-authored by Miina Ollikainen & Aino Heikkinen, was recently featured by Nature. In this preprint, the team presents a new global atlas of epigenetic changes, mapping how our DNA ages across 17 different human tissues.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Koulutus suojaa muistia vielä yli 90-vuotiaana | Helsingin yliopisto Korkeamman koulutustason ja aivoterveyden välinen yhteys on havaittavissa vielä yli 90 vuoden iässä. Keski-iän sydän- ja verisuonitautien riskitekijöillä ei sen sijaan havaittu yhteyttä näin iäkkäiden...

Uudet tutkimustulokset Eero Vuoksimaan ryhmästä korostavat koulutuksen merkitystä muistisairauksien ehkäisyssä ja antavat uutta tietoa siitä, miksi osalla ihmisistä aivojen toimintakyky säilyy hyvänä korkeasta iästä huolimatta.
www.helsinki.fi/fi/uutiset/a...
@hilife-helsinki.bsky.social