Team members

Contact: kati.hanhineva[at]utu.fi

Kati Hanhineva is professor in food development with special focus on Nordic foods and health effects at the University of Turku, Department of Life Technologies, Food Sciences unit. She also holds Research Director position at the School of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition at the University of Eastern Finland. Her main research focus is within the biochemistry of foods, especially phytochemical compounds and the effect of food processing such as fermentation on their composition. Likewise, molecular level understanding of the role of nutrition in maintaining good health, and food-microbiota interaction are within the core of the research. The key analytical technology at the different stages of research is the mass-spectrometry based metabolic profiling that her group has developed and utilized for various food and nutrition related applications, in particular within projects related to the beneficial health effect of whole grain rich diets.

Contact: ville.koistinen[at]utu.fi

I did my Master's in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Eastern Finland. Currently, I am working as a post doc in both the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Turku as well as the COO at Afekta. My research topics and interests are closely related to the identification of metabolites, particularly phytochemicals, in various studies ranging from food science to clinical nutrition and multi-omics approaches. During my free time, I spend time at the gym, with my cats and other friends, or with collectables.

Contact: anna.karlund[at]utu.fi

I have completed my PhD at the University of Eastern Finland in 2016. My educational background is in plant biology, and food and nutrition sciences, and I have applied nontargeted LC-MS metabolomics in both my doctoral and postdoctoral research projects. For my PhD, I conducted analyses on strawberry phytochemical profiles, and recently, I have studied the effects of food-borne exposures on human plasma metabolites. Currently, while coordinating our team's day-to-day activities, I'm also working on data from a pig feeding trial exploring cereal grain-induced metabolic shifts. In my spear time, I enjoy cooking, reading, watching movies, and going to the gym.

Contact: iman.zarei[at]uef.fi

I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, UEF. Prior to arriving to Finland, I completed my PhD in Human Nutrition, minor in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines joined with Colorado State University, USA, in 2018. My PhD research focused on identification of dietary biomarkers in cereal bran using metabolomics from human intervention studies in adults and children and determination of cereal bran property in inhibiting bacterial pathogenicity in mouse cell line. I also worked over three years as a researcher/PhD scholar at the Grain Quality and Nutrition Center as well as the Genetic Transformation Laboratory at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. My work at IRRI included rice metabolomics, identification rice varieties with high protein content, and genetic modifications of rice for vitamin A (Golder Rice project) and iron and zinc bio-fortification. I did my master’s degree in Biochemistry at the University of Pune, India. I received my B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology & Biochemistry in Iran.   Ice-swimming, cross-country skiing, and cooking have been my constant, and hopefully life-long passions. I am also inspired by helping better peoples’ lives. 

Contact: kang.chen[at]utu.fi

I have completed a double Master's degree programme in Food Science at Jiangnan University and University of Turku. I have completed my PhD in Food Science at the University of Turku in 2022. I am currently a postdoc researcher at the Food Science unit of the University of Turku.  My specialization is in nutritional omics and immunology. Particularly, I dedicated research efforts to modulatory effects of nutrients such as probiotics and phytochemicals on metabolic homeostasis and gut health including immune homeostasis, gut microbiota, and metabolites, with diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Contact: topi.meuronen[at]utu.fi

I did my Master’s in Biomedicine at the University of Eastern Finland and completed my PhD studies at the Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition at the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio in 2022. My research interests are closely related to use of metabolomics and lipidomics approaches to study the effects of various dietary exposures, e.g. dietary fats, whole grain products, and plant protein sources, on both humans and animals models. In my free time, I like to spend time with my friends doing outdoor activities including cross country skiing and cycling. 

Contact: veera.houttu[at]utu.fi

 I  obtained my PhD degree in Amsterdam UMC at the University of Amsterdam  focusing on the role of gut microbiota, dietary and exercise therapy in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. I have Master’s degree  in clinical nutrition and I am registered dietitian/nutritionist.  Thereby my expertise lies in conducting clinical studies and clinical  nutrition in combination with gut microbiota and metabolism in metabolic diseases such as NAFLD. Currently, I am  coordinating and conducting the Newplant dietary intervention in  Hanhineva’s lab at the University of Turku. Apart from science, I enjoy  spending time with my family and friends as well as doing sports. I am also very adventurous and therefore I enjoy travelling and  learning about new cultures.