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The Sakari Alhopuro Foundation promotes and supports medical research, biodiversity, entrepreneurship as well as cultural and social well-being in Finland.

Medical Science

The Foundation specifically supports young doctors, so that they might have the opportunity to conduct research already during their studies and immediately after graduating.  

Grant applicants

Nature

More research data is needed about the impacts of climate change on our planet’s future. The Foundation seeks to advance an understanding of the biodiversity of nature as a means of promoting a more sustainable use of our natural surroundings.

Grant applicants

What's new

Commander of the Order of the White Rose of Finland conferred upon Sakari Alhopuro

President of the Republic, Sauli Niinistö, has awarded Sakari Alhopuro the Commander of the Order of the White Rose of Finland mark of honour.

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Foundations do important work for the general good

In October, the European Day of Foundations and Donors will be held as a reminder of the valuable work being carried out by foundations and their significant role in society.

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Sakari Alhopuro:

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS FOUND IN HELPING OTHERS

‘What is the purpose of life? As a doctor, I have often considered that the purpose of life is found in helping others’, states Sakari Alhopuro, founder of the Foundation.

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Blogs

Get to know the work of researchers by reading our blogs!

The efficacy of drugs varies individually – gene testing is the key to better treatments

Medication is an essential form of therapy in the prevention and treatment of most diseases. Unfortunately, not all patients respond to drugs as expected. A drug may be effective for one individual but cause harmful side effects for another, and some may even have to discontinue taking the drug. Some experience no harm of medication – and some gain no benefit either. The individual differences are often caused by specific genes regulating the action of drugs in our bodies. Today, gene testing provides a tool for finding appropriate medication.

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Early diagnosis improves the quality of life among women with POI

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) refers to a condition where ovaries stop working prematurely. It is a rare disorder whose cause often remains unknown. If untreated, it results in declined quality of life and a significantly increased risk of, for example, osteoporosis. Our research team is exploring the genetic bacground of POI in order to facilitate a timely diagnosis and development of new treatment methods.

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Arctic zombie wildfires intensify global warming

Massive wildfires have in recent years blazed even in the Arctic regions where peatland fires can smolder under the snowpack during winter and reignite in early spring along with the rising surface temperature. The phenomenon is named ‘Arctic zombie wildfires’ by scientists. The fires intensify global warming and have serious consequences in terms of local ecosystems and human health.

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Articles

Fighting the coronavirus with nasal sprays

According to researchers at the University of Helsinki, coronavirus infections can best be prevented by means of a nasally administered vaccine. In addition to the vaccine, the researchers are also developing a nasal spray to serve as a ‘biological mask’. These are two separate preparations, which are based on different technologies and used differently. The nasal spray may complement the protection provided by vaccines and be particularly suitable for individuals responding poorly to vaccines.

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The first ever Sakari Alhopuro Prize awarded to Professor Kalervo Väänänen and archipelago nature photographer Jaakko Ruola

The Sakari Alhopuro Foundation’s Board has selected Professor Kalervo Väänänen and nature photographer Jaakko Ruola as the recipients of the Sakari Alhopuro Prize. The prize is awarded in recognition for their influential contribution to the protection of the Archipelago Sea. Now awarded for the first time, the prize sum amounts to 50,000 euro to be shared by the prize winners.

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Saving the Archipelago Sea calls for legislative actions, the stick and the carrots

The Archipelago Sea is one of the most spectacular natural environs in Finland – but for how long? Eutrophication caused by phosphorus and the resulting algal blooms in the sea pose a serious threat to the natural and recreational values of the unique marine environment and the various forms of livelihood in the archipelago. Immediate, binding and efficient actions are needed to reverse the current development.

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Professor Pentti Huovinen received the A. I. Virtanen Prize

Named after the only Finnish Nobel laureate in science, the A .I. Virtanen Prize has been awarded to Professor Pentti Huovinen in recognition of his internationally significant research in the field of bacteriology.

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Contact information

Sakari Alhopuro Foundation

Carita Rantanen, M.Sc. (Econ.), eMBA
Managing Director
phone. 040 503 9609

Board of Directors of the Foundation

Pentti Huovinen, D.Med.Sc.,
Professor of Bacteriology
Chairman of the Board
Jyri Heinonen, LL.M. with court training
Vice Chairman of the Board
Ilppo Vuorinen, Ph.D.,
Professor Emeritus of Environmental Research
Member of the Board
Saara Alhopuro, Master of Political Science, diplomat
Member of the Board

Email addresses are in the form: firstname.lastname(at)sakarialhopuronsaatio.fi

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