Grants 2020
Our two largest grants of 2020 were given to research groups working at the Helsinki University. Both groups study diabetic kidney disease.
The research groups led by professor Per-Henrik Groop and professor Sanna Lehtonen at the University of Helsinki each received two-year grants of 90 000 Euros. Groop and Lehtonen study diabetes complications and particularly kidney diseases; Groops FinnDiane research group focuses on type 1 diabetes and Lehtonens group on type 2 diabetes.
Groop was awarded the grant for research that aims to develop procedures for the detection of early stage kidney disease.
The research group led by Lehtonen is especially interested in the connection between insulin resistance among people with type 2 diabetes and the onset of diabetic kidney disease.
The third large grant, 50 000 Euros for two years, was awarded adjunct professor Kirsi Laitinen from the University of Turku. She studies the significance of gestational diabetes and obesity, as well as life style during pregnancy, on the neurological development of a child. Preliminary research results show that these factors are connected.
We received 94 grant applications in all, of which we were able to support 23. The amount of grant funds was also this year 550 000 Euros.
The majority of the applications were from researchers at the University of Helsinki, where slightly less than a fourth of the applicants are employed. We received the second most applications from the University of Turku and the Kuopio unit of the University of Eastern Finland.
Most of the applications, 67 % in all, were focused on type 2 diabetes. Out of all the applications, 32 % focused on type 1 diabetes and 13 % on gestational diabetes. One application can be focused on multiple types of diabetes.
Two-year grants, 90 000 euros
Groop Per-Henrik, D.Med.Sc., professor, the University of Helsinki, Folkhälsan Research Center
Gene and metabolome mapping of diabetes complications and renal hypoxia analysis – a Finnish multicenter study (FinnDiane)
Lehtonen Sanna, Ph.D., professor, the University of Helsinki
Insulin resistance of podocytes – driving force in diabetic kidney disease?
Two-year venture grant, 50 000 euros
Laitinen Kirsi, Ph.D., adjunct professor, the University of Turku
Gestational diabetes and obesity as a regulator of child development
One-year venture grant, 25 000 euros
Havula Essi, M.Sc., the University of Helsinki
The significance of gene-nutrient interaction in metabolic stress
Heinonen Ilkka, M.Sc. (Sport and Health Sciences), Ph.D., the University of Turku, the National PET Centre
The health effects of sitting less – a randomized, controlled intervention study
Heinonen Sini, M.D., the University of Helsinki
Adipose tissue mitochondrial profiling as a key to renewing the treatment of obesity
Järveläinen Hannu, D.Med.Sc., professor, the University of Turku, Institute of Biomedicine
SGLT2 inhibitor signal mechanisms in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and origin of harmful side effects
Laakso Markku, D.Soc.Sc., D.Med.Sc., professor, the University of Eastern Finland / Kuopio
Identification of causal metabolites predicting the risk of type 2 diabetes
Lankinen Maria, Ph.D., docent, the University of Eastern Finland / Kuopio
Synergy of genes and nutrients in the prevention of type 2 diabetes
Pahkala Katja, Ph.D., assistant professor, the University of Turku
Gut microbiota in familial transmission of obesity – a multigenerational study across 3 generations
Petterson Miira, M.D., the University of Helsinki
Predicting gestational diabetes with early pregnancy metabolomics among overweight and normal weight mothers – a case-comparison (EDDIE-META) study based on the population-based EDDIE Cohort
Ubaid Ullah, Ph.D., the University of Turku
Heterogeneity in Type 1 Diabetes Pathogenesis – immunological characterization of blood cell transcriptome in prospective sample series
Personal working grants, roughly 10 000 euros
Ekman Ilse, M.Sc., the University of Eastern Finland / Kuopio, 8 200 euros
The effects of early childhood cytomegalovirus infection and T cell mediated immunity on the development of type 1 diabetes
Elkhwanky Mahmoud Sobhy Zaky Hussein, M.Sc., the University of Oulu, 10 000 euros
Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms by which diabetes shuts down the vitamin D bioactivation
Li Huini, M.Sc., the University of Helsinki, 10 000 euros
MANF is a novel growth factor for beta-cells with regeneration potential in type 1 diabetes
Somani Juhi, M.Sc. (Tech), Aalto University, 10 000 euros
Building and availing robust statistical models for analyzing high-throughput datasets in order to identify predictive and etiological signatures for the prevention of T1D
Mäkinen Selina, M.Sc., Minerva Research Center, 10 000 euros
The effect of Finnish-specific AKT2 gene variant on the development of insulin resistance in primary human muscle cells
Paavilainen Elisa, Lic.Med., the University of Turku, 8 000 Euros
Metformin in the treatment of gestational diabetes – long-term metabolic effects on a 9-year-old
Pöllänen Petra, Lic.Med., the University of Helsinki, 6 150 euros
Genetic and immunological characterization of rapid and slow progression to type 1 diabetes in children with HLA-conferred disease susceptibility
Pöysti Sakari, M.Sc., the University of Turku, 10 000 euros
The effects of dysbiosis on islet-specific autoimmunity
Saunajoki Anni, Lic.Med., the University of Oulu, 6 000 euros
Oral glucose tolerance test – diagnostic and predictive use in clinical practice
Turtinen Maaret, Lic.Med., the University of Helsinki, 6 150 euros
Gender, family history and seasonal change associations with type 1 diabetes appearance and genotype at the moment of diagnosis
Viitasalo Anna, M.D., docent, the University of Eastern Finland / Kuopio, 10 000 euros
Explaining the link between weight gain from childhood to adulthood and metabolic dysfunction in adults