Two new Academy Research Fellows and one joint Academy Project at Folkhälsan Research Center receive funding

Elina Engberg: The 24-hour composition and timing of early childhood movement behaviours: global and national inequalities and associations with health and developmental outcomes

– The four-year Academy Research Fellowship funding allows us to apply composition and timing approaches to better understand physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep across the 24-hour period in early childhood, says Elina Engberg, Senior Scientist and Co-Principal Investigator of the SUNRISE Finland Study.

The research of the group explores how physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep are shaped by global, national, and family-level factors, and how they relate to developmental and health outcomes from early age to later childhood. 

– The funding covers salaries for myself and one PhD researcher, and supports international research visits to strengthen collaboration and expertise. This funding enables us to conduct research that can promote health equity from early childhood onwards, says Engberg.

– I am deeply honoured to receive this funding and appreciate the support from the Research Council of Finland.

See the funding decision for details.

Jenni Laitila: Investigating the role of muscle myosin and shared pathogenetic mechanisms in neuromuscular disorders through in-depth single-fibre studies

– Receiving four years of funding from the Research Council of Finland is a tremendous honour and a meaningful recognition of the value of our research. For me as a researcher, it provides the stability and resources to pursue ambitious scientific questions with long-term impact, and also supports the advancement of my academic career, says Jenni Laitila, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Myofin group.

Her team, which investigates the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to muscle disorders, has already established novel methods, such as the single muscle fibre set up, opening a new line of muscle research in Finland. With this funding it will become an integral part of the Myofin-group research, benefiting the entire Folkhälsan Research Center. 

– For our research group, this means we can deepen our investigations, strengthen collaborations, and continue training the next generation of scientists. This support is not just an investment in our project, it's an investment in the advancement of science and in building knowledge that can ultimately benefit the individuals and families affected by neuromuscular disorders.

See the funding decision for details.

Heli Viljakainen/Fin-HIT group: Revealing the causal role of the oral microbiome in health and disease

The project "Revealing the causal role of the oral microbiome in health and disease" is a joint initiative involving the University of Eastern Finland, University of Helsinki, University of Turku, and Folkhälsan Research Center. Using saliva samples collected in the DILGOM and Fin-HIT studies, the researchers will analyze how the oral microbiome structure and function are associated with poor oral health and low-grade inflammation leading to cardiometabolic diseases. The scientific objective is to create new knowledge on oral microbiome composition for researchers and provide versatile data on factors that affect this composition. 

– The Research Council of Finland is the most prestigious research funder in the country, and as the grants are highly competitive, receiving this funding is also a significant recognition. The long-term funding ensures continuity to my Fin-HIT group and allows us to proceed with the multidisciplinary collaboration regarding saliva microbiome’s role in health and disease, says Heli Viljakainen, Group Leader of the Fin-HIT Study Group.
 
– Fin-HIT group truly appreciates the support from the Research Council of Finland.

See the funding decision for details.