Grants 2024
This year we received 90 grant applications, which were six applications more than the previous year. Grant funding was sought for a total of nearly 2,6 million Euros. Over a third of the applications were submitted by researchers working at the University of Helsinki. Sixty percent of the applications were focused on type 2 diabetes research, while close to fifty percent were focused on type 1 diabetes research. A single application may involve research on several types of diabetes.
Our administration collaborated with our scientific committee to award grants to 26 diabetes researchers. Grants were awarded for a total of 550 000 Euros.
Our two-year venture grants of 90 000 Euros were awarded docent Minna Hankaniemi from the University of Tampere, and professor Kirsi Pietiläinen from the University of Helsinki. Hankaniemi and her research group are performing a vaccination effectiveness study. With the awarded grant, her group will study a vaccine for the prevention of type 1 diabetes. Pietiläinen researches obesity and type 2 diabetes. With the grant, her research group will identify gut hormones in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
The two-year grants of 90 000 Euros
Hankaniemi Minna, PhD, docent, the University of Tampere
T1DVAC- Vaccine and diagnostic tool platform preventing virus-induced Type 1 Diabetes
The grant awarded Hankaniemi and her research group also contains the following personal grant: Gonzales-Rodrigues Martin, 29 400 Euros.
Pietiläinen Kirsi, D.Med.Sc., M.Sc. Food Sciences, professor, the University of Helsinki
Gut hormones as activators of adipose tissue mitochondria in the treatment of type 2 diabetes
The one-year grants of 10 000 – 27 000 Euros
Balboa Diego, PhD, the University of Helsinki, 27 000 Euros
Uncovering transcriptional regulators behind pancreatic islet beta cell maturation
Barreiro Karina, PhD, the University of Helsinki, 27 000 Euros
Urinary extracellular vesicles as liquid kidney biopsies for early diagnosis and prognosis of diabetic kidney disease
Gursoy Ulvi, PhD, LicDent, professor, the University of Turku, 27 000 Euros
Regulation of Oral Microbiome and Oral Immune Response by Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Kekäläinen Eliisa, D.Med.Sc, docent, the University of Helsinki, 27 000 Euros
Mechanisms of pancreatic islet protection from autoimmunity in a rare immunodeficiency
Monfort-Pires Milena, PhD, the University of Turku, 22 600 Euros
Understanding the role of gut microbiota on the gut-brain axis response to high-palatable foods
Olkkonen Vesa, PhD, professor, Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, 25 000 Euros
New generation antidiabetic drugs: GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists’ impact on adipose vasculature and metabolism
Saarimäki-Vire Jonna, PhD, the University of Helsinki 27 000 Euros
Improved animal models to evaluate the function of stem cell-derived islets in vivo
Salmenkari Hanne, PhD, Folkhälsan Research Center, 10 000 Euros
Changes in bowel habits as a result of experimental diabetic renal disease
Schwab Ursula, PhD, docent, the University of Eastern Finland / Kuopio, 27 000 Euros
Lifestyle intervention and incident diabetes in individuals with impaired fasting glucose and low or high genetic risk for the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D-GENE) – effects on lipidome
Toivola Diana, PhD, Åbo Akademi, 27 000 Euros
Keratins in regulating β-cell glucose transporter targeting and β-cell stress resilience
The grant awarded Toivola and her research group also contains the following personal grant: NN, 18 450 Euros.
U-Din Mueez, PhD, the University of Turku, 27 000 Euros
Investigating the effect of acute cold exposure on renal metabolism in adult humans
The personal working grants, 4 100 – 10 000 Euros
Batkulwar Kedar, PhD, the University of Turku, 9 800 Euros
The significance of the novel miRNA molecule regarding the onset and early identification of type 1 diabetes
Hirvonen Maria, M.Sc., the University of Turku, 6 000 Euros
Quantitative proteomics to detect underlying molecular changes in type 1 diabetes and exploring the role of persistent enterovirus infection
Lampela Ella, M.Sc. the University of Tampere, 10 000 Euros
A vascularised human skeletal muscle model for in vitro metabolic disease studies
Larivuo Ilmari, Lic.Med.Sc, Finnish Institute for Healt and Welfare and the University of Tampere, 8 000 Euros
The effects of depression on the occurrence of type 2 diabetes
Li Huini, M.Sc., the University of Helsinki, 10 000 Euros
Exploring the beta cell protective effects and mode of action of ER stress regulating MANF
Lithovius Väinö, Lic.Med.Sc, the University of Helsinki 4 100 Euros
Drug treatment development for innate hyperinsulinism
Mairinoja Laura, M.Sc, the University of Turku, 6 150 Euros
Studying fatty liver disease in preclinical mouse models with imaging and image analysis
Mattila Inka, Lic.Med.Sc, M.Soc.Sc, the University of Turku, 6 150 Euros
Gestational diabetes mellitus and early life stress as predictors for neuropsychological development
Montaser Hossam, M.Sc., the University of Helsinki, 6 000 Euros
IER3IP1 mutations cause neonatal diabetes due to impaired proinsulin trafficking
Oikarinen Maarit, PhD, the University of Tampere, 9 800 Euros
The significance of viral bowel infections in type 1 diabetes and celiac disease
Silojärvi Satu, M.Sc, the University of Turku 10 000 Euros
Gut microbiota, immunity and type 1 diabetes
Smidtslund Patrik, Lic.Med.Sc, the University of Helsinki, 10 000 Euros
Incidence, risk profile, and prognosis of myocardial infarction in type 1 diabetes
Soppela Saana, M.Sc., the University of Tampere, 8 200 Euros
Preventing type 1 diabetes through a broad-spectrum enterovirus vaccine