19/06/2019
Partner 4 - University of Eastern Finland
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Prof. Asla PitkänenPrincipal Investigator Phone: +358 505172091 Fax: +358 17163025
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University of Eastern Finland - ITÄ-SUOMEN YLIOPISTOYliopistonranta 1E 70211 Kuopio Finland |
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E-MailTeam Pitkänen laboratory
Team Gröhn laboratory
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Prof. Olli GröhnProfessor of biomedical imaging/Preclinical Imaging Phone: +358 50 3590963 Fax: +358 17163030 |
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Team Leinonen laboratory
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Assistant Prof. Ville LeinonenNeurosurgeon Phone: +358 447172303 Fax: +358 17173916 |
Dr Olli-Pekka KämäräinenTissue sampling |
Dr Jukka HuttunenTissue sampling |
Marita VoutilainenResearch Nurse / Handling the samples and clinical data |
Institute presentation
UEF (Pitkänen and Gröhn) is the 3rd largest University in Finland with about 15 000 students. The A. I. Virtanen Institute (AIVI) for Molecular Sciences, a Research Institute at the Faculty of Health in UEF, harbours 240 scientists (12 group leaders). AIVI is equipped with modern histology, molecular biology, and imaging laboratories, including biomedical imaging unit contributing to EPITARGET, equipped with three high field MRI systems, SPECT/mCT, IVIS optical imaging, multiphoton and ultrasound imaging. State-of-the art animal facilities have devices for induction of status epilepticus and traumatic brain injury. Video-EEG monitoring units and analysis software are available for monitoring of 50 animals at a time. Behavioural testing setups are available for analysis of motor, sensory, memory and neuropsychiatric functions in rodents. Kuopio University Hospital (KUH) (Leinonen) is located about 0.5 km from the UEF. The Department of Neurosurgery serves a population of 850 000 in Eastern Finland performing 2000 neurosurgical procedures every year, including over 100 TBI patients. Diagnostic brain biopsies to evaluate neurodegenerative changes in patients with suspected normal pressure hydrocephalus have been done as a routine practice since 1991, and methodology using snap-frozen brain samples (to be used in EPITARGET) since 2010.
Prof. Asla Pitkänen, MD, PhD, DSc, has published over 200 peer‐reviewed papers in journals including PNAS, Brain, Ann Neurol, Lancet Neurology and J Neuroscience. She has worked with animal models of epilepsy since 1982, and conducted several preclinical trials with major pharmaceutical companies. Pitkänen's recent publication activity includes molecular and microstructural analysis of epileptogenesis using state-of-the art molecular and MRI techniques. She has experience in coordinating several research consortia, including FP6 EPICURE (WP coordinator with 4 PIs), ESF project EpiGENet coordinator (6 PIs), and UEF-Brain spear project coordinator (16 PIs).
Prof. Olli Gröhn, PhD, is the director of the National bio-NMR facility and Biomedical Imaging Unit. He has together with his research group focused on the development of novel MRI methodologies, and has utilized those to identify novel non-invasive imaging biomarkers for progressive brain diseases.
Dr. Ville Leinonen, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon, works in the Kuopio University Hospital. He is the director of Kuopio Neurosurgery NPH (normal pressure hydrocephalus) and Early AD (Alzheimer’s disease) Group, which focus on molecular biology of neurodegeneration in brain biopsies. He has published 30 articles in international scientific journals, including PNAS, Annals of Neurology, Neurology, and Acta Neuropathologica.
EPITARGET Team
EPITARGET Workpackages
