Areas of expertise
Biography
Doctor of Medical Sciences (PhD), Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku 1996,
Specialist in Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku2002
Docent in Virology, University of Turku 2005
Special competence in medical education, Finnish Medical Association 2009
Pedagogical studies for university teacher (60 ects) , Faculty of Education, University of Turku 2012
Head of virus diagnostic laboratory, University of Turku 2009-2015,
Chief physician Medical MIcrobiology, Turku University Hospital 2015-
Activities in the Medical Faculty: Vice Chair, Department of Microbiology and Pathology 2008-2010
Member of a sub-committee for developing professional education in medicine, 2000-2005
Member of a developing education taskforce for undergraduates in dentistry, 2003-2007
Quality assurance supervisor, Institute of Microbiology and Pathology, 2005-2010
Teaching
I have been involved in teaching medical students since I started my carrier at the department of Virology. During my carrier as a teacher, I have realized that learning is a continuous lifetime process and I have tried to adopte more cognitive and constructive models of learning and teaching.
I have participated in development of PBL teaching in medical microbiology and setting up a teacher tutor system in medical faculty. I have written a guide for teachers about tutoring of students. I have published one pedagogic peer-reviewed article in Finnish.
Research
My
scientific interest due to my background of medical education is mainly based
on viral pathogenesis and clinical virology. My
special interest has been on Picornaviruses,
which are important human pathogens. Enteroviruses cause respiratory
infections, meningitis, encephalitis and myocarditis and rhinoviruses are the
most common cause of common cold. Viral
infections in wheezing children have been one major clinical project with international collaboration. On
this field we have published several important findings (e.g. efficacy of
prednisolon in early wheezing caused by rhinoviruses, the first wheezing episode with rhinovirus predict later ashtma development, hyperactive immune response in asthmatics to repeated rhinovirus infection).