School of Science

News and events

What's going on in the School of Science - find our news articles, events, media hits and much more.

Our researchers are using cutting-edge technology to uncover the secrets of the brain

Ana Triana was herself the subject of the research, monitored as she went about her daily life. Photo by Matti Ahlgren.

Echoes in the brain: Why today’s workout could fuel next week’s bright idea

In a rare, longitudinal study, researchers from Aalto University and the University of Oulu tracked one person’s brain and behavioural activity for five months using brain scans and data from wearable devices and smartphones.

News
Shrikanth Kulashekhar (right in the photo) is preparing the upcoming experiment in the park. Diana Kulashekhar is left in the photo. Photo by Marika Itkonen.

New research project aims for earlier dementia risk detection

Aalto University researchers Shrikanth Kulashekhar and Hanna Renvall have received funding from the Finnish Research Impact Foundation to develop diagnostics for early detection of dementia risk. The need is great, as there are at least 50 million people with memory problems worldwide, a number that is expected to double in the following 20 years.

News
The brain in love: the image shows brain areas that activate in association with the most intensely felt forms of interpersonal

Finding love: Study reveals where love lives in the brain

Researchers from Aalto University utilised functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity while subjects mulled brief stories related to six different types of love.

News
Aivokummit are volunteers helping neuroscience research at Aalto University.

Aalto Aivokummit

Become one of the "aivokummit" and help neuroscience research at Aalto University as a study participant.

Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering

Our experts in the media

”Meidän on tuotava arkielämän tietoja laboratorioon, jotta saamme kokonaiskuvan siitä, miten tottumuksemme muokkaavat aivoja", sanoo Ana Triana.

Ana Triana in HuffPost UK, October 9, 2024 (external link)

This Is How Long One Bad Night's Sleep Actually Impacts You For – And I'm Horrified

Timo Vuori

Timo Vuori in Kauppalehti, October 2, 2024 (external link)

Timo Vuori says in the interview (in Finnish) that emotional skills are now considered as a competitive factor.

Vili Lehdonvirta, phóto: Mikko Raskinen, Aalto University

Vili Lehdonvirta in TIME magazine, August 28, 2024 (external link)

New Research Finds Stark Global Divide in Ownership of Powerful AI Chips

From left: Mikko Sams, Pärttyli Rinne and Linda Henriksson.

Pärttyli Rinne and others in Newsweek, August 26, 2024 (external link)

Scientists Reveal Where the Brain Feels Love—and Which Type Is Strongest

Of all our 46 all-time European Research Council's grants, see the most recent ones

Peter Liljeroth

Major European funding for research into new quantum materials

New materials are hoped to become building blocks for yet unseen quantum devices

News
From left: Taras Redchuk, Chris Hayes, Aakeel Wagay, Ada Pajari, Dan Noel, Eveliny Nery and Jarno Mäkelä. Photo: Mikko Raskinen.

‘Off to a flying start’ – a new research team explores bacteria that thrive in extreme conditions

Jarno Mäkelä joined Aalto’s Department of Neuroscience and Medical Engineering as Assistant Professor of Biophysics in early September, together with research fellow Taras Redchuk, postdoctoral researchers Dan Noel, Eveliny Nery, doctoral researchers Ada Pajari and Aakeel Wagay, and research assistant Chris Hayes. They were accompanied by equipment, funding from the Academy of Finland and an ERC Starting Grant from the European Research Council.

News
Photo of Hang Zhang against a dark background.

1.5-million-euro ERC grant for creating physical feedback loops in life-inspired materials awarded to Hang Zhang

Dr. Hang Zhang was granted 1.5 million euros on Thursday by the ERC to create coupled physical feedback loops in hydrogels with varying dimensions.

News
Vili Lehdonvirta, phóto: Mikko Raskinen, Aalto University

Cloud empires: Mapping the geopolitics of data infrastructures

The trend towards hyperscale cloud infrastructures is creating powerful global gatekeepers of computational capability. We must understand the geopolitical implications.

News
Olli Ikkana in Otaniemi, photo by Lasse Lecklin.

Bioinspired colours and adaptable materials - Professor Olli Ikkala's third EU project builds on living systems

Department of Applied Physics Professor Olli Ikkala received his third Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) on 11 April 2024. The funding amounts to €2.5 million and the project will run for five years.

News

Get to know our two ERC Synergy Grants

An illuminated gold-plated cryostat built by Bluefors sits on a black background.

Physicists embark on six-year hunt for dark matter particle

Researchers to probe the galactic halo in search of axions

News
Mies on selkä päin kameraa, katsoo tietokoneelta kuvaa aivoista.

Playing with the music of the brain

Common neurological disorders like depression and chronic pain can be challenging to treat with conventional methods. An automated version of a long-used brain stimulation technique holds real promise as a reliable and effective drug-free alternative.

News

Our experts share their knowledge

Three people look at a quantum computer

5 things for decision makers to know about quantum technology in Finland

FQF Director Peter Liljeroth & InstituteQ Director Jukka Pekola discuss Finland's quantum tech landscape.

News
Timo Vuori

Five things leaders should know about the power of emotions in watershed moments

Associate Professor Timo Vuori explains how to turn harmful anxiety into constructive energy

News
Illustration image of cybersecurity

Five things everyone should know about cybersecurity

We live in a world where hackers stalk teleworkers and advertisers spy on us. You can’t protect yourself from everything, but a little effort can get you to safer waters. Mikko Kiviharju, professor of practice in cybersecurity, offers five tips for securing your data.

News
Niina Nurmi, photo by Mikko Raskinen.

5 things everyone should know about virtual meetings

Is it worth inviting everyone to a virtual meeting? Do you stare at your own picture on the screen? Assistant Professor Niina Nurmi discusses some of the best practices from remote meetings, based on a recent study.

News
Matti Vartiainen

Five things to know about hybrid work

Senior Advisor and Professor Emeritus Matti Vartiainen explains how hybrid work has changed life here and elsewhere - and what we can expect from the future

News
X-ray of hand with fingers making OK sign

AI is transforming healthcare: 5 things to know

Regulation, validation and trust are key when AI is used in medical services, say FCAI and Aalto University experts.

News
Suojahansikkaisiin puetut kädet pitelevät mittalaitetta

Five things policy-makers should know about improving health care

Tweaking the healthcare system won’t help if its structure provides the wrong incentives, says Paul Lillrank. The professor emeritus of industrial economics gives his views on what’s wrong with Finland’s healthcare system and what should be done about it.

News

Get to know some of our innovations

Researcher Juha Koivisto holds up a piece of the bio foam material.

Living, breathing buildings: Bio foams could transform the way we build

Could an autonomously “breathing” foam that’s ninety percent air be a sustainable alternative to concrete, steel and glass in construction? A team led by researchers from Finland is set to prove it can. 

News
insole at pdp gala

Compostable wood foam replaces plastic in shoe insoles

Aalto University students develop prototype of durable wood-based insole – Finnish shoe company starts testing material on users this autumn

News
Natal Mind winning team, photo by Polar Bear Pitching

Pitching in ice cold water and childbirth are both leaps into the unknown

The Natal Mind research team won the Polar Bear Pitching competition last weekend in Oulu. Obstetrician Aura Pyykönen tells us what it was like to pitch in the ice-cold water. Annika Järvelin, Riikka Lemmetyinen and Henni Tenhunen are other members of the winning team at Aalto Department of Industrial Engineering and Management.

News

Human encounters

The Guild of Physics in Jyväskylä. Photo: Guild of Physics.

Guild of Physics bumps into alum in Jyväskylä teachers' room

On their high school tour, the Aalto Guild of Physics ran into Antero Hietamäki in the teachers' room in Jyväskylä. Hietamäki, now the Administrative Head of the Teacher Training School, was a student of engineering physics and mathematics in the 1980s.

News
Shaking up tech 2023

Shaking up Tech welcomes high school students to campuses in January

The keynote speaker this time is neuroscientist Minna Huotilainen. The purpose of the event is to introduce the field of technology to underrepresented groups.

News
Armaan Hooda on the left, Pauliina Ilmonen on the right

Armaan Hooda spent one day as a math professor in Aalto

As part of the science and technology competition TuKoKe, Armaan Hooda won a Day as a Professor award. He spent the day together with professor Pauliina Ilmonen and other researchers at Aalto’s Department of Mathematics and Systems Analysis.

News
Premiere at Kino Tapiola. Left: Markus Toivonen, right: Matias Ikola. Photo: Paavo Hietala.

What makes an alum and a freshman produce a full-length guild documentary together?

Markus Toivonen, a Bioinformation Technology alum, started his studies in Aalto University in 2015. The idea for the documentary about Inkubio, the guild of bioinformation technology, was born in 2019, when the guild celebrated its 15th anniversary.

News
Fajr Asghar (left) and Vilma Svynarenko (right)

TET interns Fajr Asghar and Vilma Svynarenko explored everything from solar cells to Täffä’s spaghetti in Aalto

Fajr Asghar and Vilma Svynarenko first calculated the efficiency of solar cells and then wrote an article on renewable energy.

News
Risto Ilmoniemi, photo by: Hayley Le

Risto Ilmoniemi: The most important thing is having confidence that others will be there to support and help when needed

'I have thought many times that I am going to give up the whole thing: this is not going to work. But I recover quickly: often already on the next day, optimism is reborn.'

News
Jukka Pekola, kuva: Riitta Supperi, Suomen Kulttuurirahasto

Jukka Pekola receives Finnish Cultural Foundation award – ‘Quantum is of interest way beyond scientists or the science fiction world’

Professor Jukka Pekola receives the Finnish Cultural Foundation's award for his long-term contributions to quantum technology research and to solving challenges facing humanity.

News
Maarit Korpi-Lagg, photo by by Matti Ahlgren

Maarit Korpi-Lagg: I have so few female colleagues that sometimes it’s difficult to maintain self-esteem

'Both in physics and computer science there are very few female researchers and professors. Last year we had a celebration because the first female student passed my course. It was a big thing for me.'

News

Industrial Engineering and Management related blog posts

Vihreitä lehtiä ajelehtii vedessä (kuvituskuva)

Tuta Blog (external link)

Industrial Engineering and Management related blog posts from our researchers written either in Finnish or English.

Timo Vuori and Tero Ojanperä

Podcast Alustatalouden faktat ja myytit (external link)

Alustatalouden faktat ja myytit -podcast delves into how the use of data and artificial intelligence helps companies succeed. The podcast is in Finnish.

Latest news

A man Diving into radical creativity online course. photo Lina Jelanski
Studies Published:

Boost your skills: learn the basics of radical creativity

Creative thinking and related capacity to change are core competencies of the future in all fields. Aalto University will launch a free online introductory course on radical creativity in Finnish and English on November 14, 2024.
A lit motorway crossing the sea, with buildings and sky visible
Cooperation, Press releases, Research & Art, University Published:

Finland is strongly investing in AI and establishing an ELLIS Institute to accelerate research and attract talent

Public and private sector investment are coming together to launch ELLIS Institute Finland.
A person holds a phone showing the Twitter profile, with mask emojis in the header. A plant is in the background.
Research & Art Published:

Malicious social media bots increased significantly during the COVID19 pandemic

A groundbreaking joint study by Aalto University and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has revealed critical insights into the role of bots in shaping public health discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly on Twitter.
Aalto University Senior Lecturer Sorin Paraoanu stands at the Low Temperature Lab in the Nanotalo building.
Appointments, Research & Art Published:

Prof. Sorin Paraoanu builds quantum devices that probe the foundations of our universe

Recently appointed as Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Physics, Prof. Sorin Paraoanu is building quantum sensors and designing experiments that unveil the secrets of our universe.

What's on?

Artificial intelligence, medical decision making and research ethics
Lectures and seminars, Staff trainings, Support for teams, Training to support research

Artificial Intelligence, Medical Decision Making and Research Ethics, Oct 31, 2024

Learn about artificial intelligence, medical decision making, and research ethics with Professor Riitta Salmelin.
MAGICS infrastructure header image
Workshops

AI-Assisted Qualitative Text Analysis Bootcamp

See the program and sign up for the bootcamp on AI-Assisted Qualitative Text Analysis
Doctoral hat floating above a speaker's podium with a microphone
Public defences

Public defence in Industrial Engineering and Management, M.Sc. (Tech) Sarri Nykänen

Drivers of collective action in contemporary democracy (title of the thesis)
Creative Technologies main image
Lectures and seminars

Miten ratkaista tekoälyn eettiset haasteet?

Join the event to follow discussion on the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence!
  • Published:
  • Updated: