Tero Ylisaukko-oja built a successful career first as a scientist and then through various medical and marketing positions within the pharmaceutical industry. In 2010 Tero realized a long-held dream of combining entrepreneurial drive with insider knowledge by forming the first Finnish personalized medicine company, Genecodebook Oy. In 2011 he founded medical science agency Idea Engine, upon which MedEngine was built. Known for his creative thinking and passion for complex projects, Tero seeks out clients who are willing to innovate and challenge both him and themselves.
Outside of MedEngine Tero enjoys everything Italian, be it food, wine, soccer, the Mediterranean sea, or small cars with character.

tero@medengine.fi
+358 40 9012 975

A passion for understanding the mystery of the human brain led Aino to become an expert in neuroscience. After receiving her PhD from the University of Helsinki, Aino has worked as a post-doctoral scientist and as a coordinator at the Scandinavian Physiological Society. Aino is also known for her popular scientific blog postings.
Aino enjoys pushing herself outside the comfort zone, let it be challenging herself at work, seeking out new perspectives, or training endurance sports. For balance, she loves to design and bake imaginative cakes, which are highly appreciated by her colleagues.

aino.vesikansa@medengine.fi
‭+358 50 307 9128‬

Tiia has an extensive background in genetics with years of experience in academic research, as well as commercial experience in genetic diagnostics. Her core competencies are medical and molecular genetics as well as content creation and marketing.
As a dedicated crossfitter, Tiia will most likely be found at the gym outside of working hours. She loves spending time at her summer cottage enjoying the outdoor sports opportunities and peace while surrounded by nature.

tiia.luukkonen@medengine.fi
+358 50 3686 138

Emmi holds a PhD in Medical and Clinical Genetics, and has several years of postdoctoral research experience in translational cancer biology and individualized drug therapy.
In her work, Emmi is eager to contribute to the intersecting fields of scientific data analysis, communication and digital marketing. She is determined to upgrade her skills, and is currently studying programming, software development and digital service design.

Outside of the office, Emmi enjoys different sports and is passionate about aerial acrobatics. At home, she relaxes with her children by building robots, playing PlayStation or by parkouring around nearby neighborhoods.

emmi.joensuu@medengine.fi
+358 40 0240 858

Maaria's interest in life sciences led her to acquire an MSc in biotechnology from the Tampere University, where she is currently finalizing her PhD in molecular immunology. Maaria is inspired by learning and transforming ideas into action. At MedEngine, she enjoys the possibility to utilize her scientific know-how in a whole new way.

maaria.palmroth@medengine.fi

Mirkka Koivusalo, is a biochemist with over 18 years of experience in scientific research and communication. After receiving her PhD from the University of Helsinki, Mirkka completed two post-doctoral research periods in Helsinki and in Toronto, Canada. She also has a significant experience in the Finnish Biobank ecosystem. Outside of research, Mirkka has gained experience as an entrepreneur — she ran a company offering dog training services in Toronto.
As an analytical problem-solver, Mirkka enjoys developing systematic approaches which benefit the customer and, at the end of the day, promote human health. In her free time she can mostly be found in the woods hiking with her two energetic Australian Shepherds or riding a horse.

mirkka.koivusalo@medengine.fi
+358 44 5225 146

Ulrika is a team player. She feels like the type of person who can always see the positive side of things. Resourceful and patient, she says she just enjoys listening to and helping others.

Ulrika has studied Medicine at the University of Helsinki. After graduating as an MD, she received her PhD from the University of Helsinki, Department of Medical Genetics. She has worked in various research projects studying small bowel and colorectal cancer genetics, the topic of her dissertation.

ulrika.hanninen@medengine.fi
+358447768100

Klaus is a versatile communications professional. He has a master’s degree in Social Sciences majoring in Communications. He’s also studied history, musicology, and the arts and worked in various positions in the media industry: as a broadcast journalist, photographer, freelance writer, and videographer.

klaus.elfving@medengine.fi
+358 44 493 6708

Sami is finishing a PhD in neurosciences, studying the underlying molecular mechanisms between Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes. He has ongoing business studies in innovation management and has worked with Health Technology Assessment and marketing authorizations at the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea.

sami.gabbouj@medengine.fi
+ 358 44 717 0658

Tuomas is a friendly person. He describes himself as passionate and inquisitive—and says some people find the things he says funny—even if he didn’t intentionally mean them to be! Tuomas has his background in economics. He has a master’s degree from the University of Helsinki and Helsinki Graduate School of Economics. “Preceding MedEngine, I’ve worked with pharmaceutical, health register, and general register data at the VATT Institute for Economic Research. I’ve also done a traineeship at the European Central Bank working with the master and metadata of their Register of Institutions and Affiliates Data. Prior to that was my first foray into the health industry, working at the medical technology company Siemens Healthcare Oy, which ignited my interest in health technology-related topics", Tuomas sums.

Juulia’s background is in molecular epidemiology, with expertise in aging-related diseases using cohort, register and biobank data. She obtained her MSc at the University of Jyväskylä and PhD at Tampere University. In addition, she's a Docent in immunology at Tampere University and in epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Juulia also works as a research group leader in academia.

juulia.jylhava@medengine.fi

Katariina has obtained her MSc in 2017 of University of Jyväskylä, minoring in pharmacology and chemistry. She continued her PhD studies familiarizing herself with the intricate realms of antimicrobial resistance and microbial interactions that propagates the resistance. After completing the PhD in 2021 at the University of Jyväskylä, she continued her research career as a doctoral researcher focusing on protein-level formation of muscle dystrophias.

Mirka just finished her MSc in Health Economics at the University of Eastern Finland. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy. She has worked at HUS Pharcamy, several other pharmacies, and completed a traineeship at the Pharmaceutical Pricing Board of Finland.

Mirka chose to join MedEngine for the summer to further expand her knowledge of pharmaceutical industry and health economics. “At MedEngine, I can combine these two fields and develop my skills. I look forward to learning more about health economic modeling and market access work. I love that I can learn new things every day and engage in meaningful work!"

With her everlasting positivity, un-Finnish talkativeness and her sailing hobby, Disa fits your typical Fenno-Swede stereotype perfectly. Disa holds an MSc in pharmacology and has worked in pharmacies, academia and pharmaceutical industry. At MedEngine she has been able to combine her passion for science and human resources. As People & Culture Lead she can pursue her dream of building the best workplace and see people grow.

Disa loves summer, laughter, and sparkling wine. In her spare time, she relaxes by climbing on a wall or doing sun salutations—preferably on the sunny quay of her family’s summer cottage.

disa.langstrom@medengine.fi
+358 40 7034 981

Juha holds a PhD in statistics and has extensive experience in observational register studies. Prior to MedEngine, Juha worked for several years as a Senior Statistician and Team Lead in a contract research organization and was responsible for challenging international real-world evidence (RWE) projects. Earlier in his career, he has worked on mathematical and statistical modeling of infectious diseases. He has also taught statistics at the University of Helsinki.

Juha’s free time is divided between a mixture of various sports: he enjoys fishing and outdoor climbing in the summer, and indoor climbing and hitting the gym throughout the year. Juha likes spending time on his motorbike, but when he wants to slow down and relax, he explores the latest news in astronomy and cosmology.

juha.mehtala@medengine
+358407735059

A deep interest in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases has driven Sanna Hellberg in her scientific career. After finishing her PhD in PET imaging of atherosclerotic plaque inflammation at the University of Turku, Sanna spent three years as a postdoc at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm. From the beginning of her career she has been motivated by the possibility to be a part of finding solutions to health problems, and eventually enabling better cures.

sanna.hellberg@medengine.fi
+358407152385

Kristian has a PhD in economics from Lund University and holds a chair in health economics at Gothenburg University. Kristian has more than 25 years of experience in applied health economics and has, during that time, collaborated with both public-sector organisations and the pharmaceutical industry.

Sarah draws inspiration from deriving insights for better healthcare, understanding the mechanisms of different diseases, and determining how to fight them most effectively.

Sarah has worked in various research groups, contributing to research on multiple sclerosis and breast cancer. Additionally, she has significant experience in the Finnish Biobanking ecosystem, coordinating the national biobank studies at FINBB.

sarah.smith@medengine.fi
+358 44 0222 435

Riikka describes herself as a determined, loyal, and social person. She is well known for her optimism, and her friends have noted that if her good mood disappears, things have really taken a turn for the worse!

Riikka studied Biomedicine at the University of Turku and did her Master thesis at the Turku PET Centre before continuing to PhD studies. She completed her PhD in the field of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, with her research focused on PET imaging of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis and melanoma.

riikka.viitanen@medengine.fi
+358503633247

Mónica has a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Coimbra, in her native Portugal. After her master’s studies Mónica became very interested in pharmaceutical technology and in the process of developing a medical product. After graduating she had a short experience as a pharmacist in a community pharmacy, but always knew she wanted to continue her studies and become a scientist of some sort.
During her PhD studies Mónica then realized that she really liked writing. The more experience she had in writing, reviewing and editing different research and development documents, both in academia and then in the pharma industry, the more interested she became to develop those skills and pursue a career in it. ”Scientific and medical writing provide endless learning and creative opportunities!”, she sums her enthusiasm.

monica.ferreira@medengine.fi
+358 44 491 4742

Riina is a calm and responsible personality, but one that’s also social and enjoys the company of others. She’s always found it important to work in a field that affects people’s lives profoundly, and how medicine fits that description.

Riina studied molecular biotechnology and diagnostics at the Department of Biotechnology at the University of Turku, Finland, earning both her MSc and PhD there in a prostate cancer research group led by Prof. Kim Pettersson. Her PhD research focused on nucleic acid diagnostics of prostate cancer; the group developed quantitative PCR assays for novel RNA biomarker candidates. After her PhD, Riina worked as a medical writer and a project manager at Aurexel Life Sciences with preclinical oncology and drug development as her specialty.

riina-minna.vaananen@medengine.fi
+358 50 372 4324

Mareena has an eagerness to learn and her background is diverse. She has B.A. and M.A. in education and worked for five years as a researcher with educational technology and teacher training at the University of Eastern Finland. She holds a B.Sc. in biology, minoring in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Eastern Finland and then an M.Sc. in translational medicine at the University of Helsinki. She's specialized in translational neuroscience and personalized medicine.

+358 40 5897 583
mareena.hyypia@medengine.fi

Maria is fun, kind and empathic. She has graduated in Industrial Engineering from Mexico and went on to pursue a Master's and PhD in Operational Research in the UK. Her interest in healthcare began during the master's, and her PhD delved into machine learning models to predict patient length of stay. Maria has worked at the University of Liverpool and University of Helsinki before joining MedEngine.

Thomas is an experienced health and labor economist and has a PhD in Economics. He's experienced in heavy analytical analysis and versed in teaching different subjects to both students and physicians alike. Thomas is working as a Senior Advisor part of the Medical Data Science team and is based in Lund, near Malmö, Sweden.

Harlan has always been fascinated by the natural world and spent his childhood exploring the forests near his home. After receiving a BSc in Biology at Indiana University, Harlan progressed from biology to bioinformatics at the University of Tampere. Data science became a passion once he saw its ability to derive impressive insights from large biological datasets. During his current doctoral studies, Harlan has collaborated on a number of manuscripts. For him, the appeal in scientific writing and editing is making research understandable and thus improving its utility.

At MedEngine, Harlan enjoys bringing new and exciting technologies to market. Outside of work, he devotes his free time to reading, biking, studying blockchain technologies, and learning Finnish with his son.

Saku Torvinen has extensive experience in demanding market access positions, both internationally and within Finland. He joined MedEngine from Takeda, where he was the Head of Patient Value and Access & Public Policy, a unit known for groundbreaking data-driven access projects. Prior to that, he was European Director of Pricing and Market Access at Teva Europe, where he was responsible for innovative respiratory products at the European level.

saku.torvinen@medengine.fi
+358 40 5511 119

Heidi Loponen has extensive background in biomedical research. She holds a PhD in genetics from the University of Helsinki and has experience in a wide range of hands-on laboratory techniques as well as in research project planning and execution. Heidi also has experience as a teacher - both of biology students and swimmers, at different levels.

Heidi is excited about applying the scientific skills she has gathered during her research career in a completely new context. This, combined with her endless passion to challenge herself, makes Heidi a great match for MedEngine’s research team. If not at work, Heidi spends time with her friends and family, or enjoys physical activities like swimming, gym, or downhill skiing in the winter.

heidi.loponen@medengine.fi
+358 44 0190 699

From the beginning of her biomedicine studies at University of Turku, Sonja Saraei has been excited by exploration of different medical specialty fields. Even though Sonja always knew that she wanted to work in the field of medicine, she has also had a strong passion for more creative projects and scientific communication. In addition to her Master's degree in biomedical imaging, Sonja’s long-lasting art hobby has evolved into jobs in online marketing material production, web design, and scientific content creation.

At MedEngine Tero sure completes us with his experience: He has combined experience of 36 years (and counting!) in the pharma industry, in seven different companies overall, in roles like Country Manager, Market Access Lead, Marketing Director and Sales Manager, to mention a few. Among other things, Tero has specialized in hospital procurement of pharmaceuticals for the past fifteen years.

Several MedEngine teams gained senior level expertise, as industry veteran Sami Nikoskelainen joined the company. Sami has had an extensive career both in research and later in pharmaceutical industry. With a deep interest in immunology he still enjoys keeping up with the latest immunological research and digest its findings.

Laura is an outgoing person who brings a positive attitude wherever she goes. She’s interested in science, communications, and graphic design, having art as a passion from a young age.

Laura’s curiosity about science eventually led her to study Biomedicine, where she earned a BSc, and gained her MSc in Drug Discovery and Development with a minor in Business. During her studies she has gained work experience from involvement in various projects: she’s conducted research on extracellular vesicles and prostate cancer, for instance.

laura.mantyla@medengine.fi

Sofie has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in public health from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. “I had the great opportunity to study a part of my master’s degree at The University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia where I gained valuable insights into epidemiology, pharmacovigilance, and vaccine development.” Sofie completed her degree developing a prediction model for identifying patients with severe mental illness and no contact to general practice by utilizing Danish national health registry data and statistical analysis in Denmark.

Anna is a friendly and outgoing person. Anna's academic journey at the Technical University of Helsinki (now Aalto University), where she majored in Microbiology and Bioprocess Technology, culminated in a master's thesis on adrenergic receptors and cell culture. “I was lucky enough to get the chance to carry out this project in a small Turku-based drug development company. This sort of switched my career into a new direction. After graduating, I worked as a pharmacological research scientist and then for a short period as an application specialist. Then I got accepted into the Drug Development Graduate School and started my PhD thesis project at the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Turku”, Anna summarizes. This experience pivoted her career towards drug development, starting with a role in a Turku-based company and eventually leading to a PhD project at the University of Turku on the alpha2B-adrenoceptor.

Anniina has her bachelor’s degree in Biomedicine and her master’s degree in Drug Development from the University of Turku. During her studies she also minored in Business and did a student exchange in Sweden, studying at the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Uppsala. She has also studied pedagogy. Anniina is an Adj. Prof at University of Turku in experimental molecular neuroimaging.

Kalle has a Master's and a PhD in Pharmacy from the University of Helsinki. Kalle joined the pharmaceuticals pricing board of Finland in 2017 as a health economics expert and worked seven years for the reimbursement authority. Kalle is an Adjunct Professor in Health Economics, specializing in Health Technology Assessment, in the University of Eastern Finland.

Inka has a Master’s degree in Technology from Aalto University, where she has majored in Bioinformatics and Digital Health. Inka has worked previously both as a Data Scientist and a Data Analyst. A full introduction article is coming soon—watch this space!

Jari ended up in the biomedical industry almost by accident: he studied statistics during summer courses, and the following summer he found himself working as statistician at the department of psychiatry. Since then he has worked in the field of biostatistics, and currently works at Oulu University health Science Institute, for the University Hospital, for his own company that offers statistic science services, and as statistician for MedEngine.

In the evenings you can spot him in Oulu at the Cultural Centre VALVE, escorting his daughters to and from their ballet class. His hobbies are very “northern-Finnish” — hunting in the fall, downhill skiing in the winter and disc golf in the summer.