Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital are stepping up their collaboration in neuroscience research. They form the Tampere Brain & Mind regional network, which aims to bring together researchers and companies to promote brain health.

“Our approach to neuroscience research is multidisciplinary, and our main goal is to get all researchers and businesses involved in this field to collaborate and find synergies in the Tampere region and across Finland,” says Jukka Peltola, professor for neurology, and the chair of Tampere Brain & Mind  steering group.

“Thus far, health technology has probably been the best-known medical research field represented at Tampere University, but we also have basic- and clinical research on traditional neuroscience and psychiatry,” Peltola notes.

“We aim to raise the profile of all these fields, and to seek a translational approach, which means that we are investigating brain function from different perspectives,” Peltola adds.

Tampere Brain & Mind is a part of Neurocenter Finland, which consists of six regional networks working towards a joint goal. The regional networks involve seven universities and five hospital districts.

Neuroscience research is a current topic because brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are getting more common in ageing populations. Brain diseases not only cause individual suffering, but they are also of great importance in health economics because of the burden for both the health care system and entire society.

“My field of expertise is epilepsy. If we can get a 20-year-old epilepsy patient into education and working life, it will have a great impact on the individual, but it is also very important for the society whether the patient is in employment for 40 years, or absent from work”, says Peltola.

Peltola notes that brain health and brain wellness more broadly, concern everyone and not just those with a brain disease.

“There is talk about people’s overall well-being, coping at work and enjoying life in general, and the various aspects related to well-being are associated with brain health,” Peltola says.

“They are an important part of our everyday life. When we think about various things done in society, we should also consider them from the perspective of brain well-being,” he adds.

Seppo Parkkila, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, welcomes the strengthening of research in this field.

“Neurosciences are an important part of research at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology. Therefore, it is excellent that researchers join forces, both locally and nationally, which reinforces our research and impact in this field amid fierce international competition,” Parkkila points out.

Sari Karppinen, Regional Manager of the Tampere Brain & Mind network, says that the network comprises some 130 researchers and doctors locally.

“We would like to see the activities of Tampere Brain & Mind seamlessly integrated into both the hospital and the university to support the already existing support services for research and innovation. Our aim is to build a close-knit brain and mind research community with as wide multidisciplinary perspectives as possible.”

Regional networks are seeking to partner businesses with researchers. Business cooperation and services are provided by the coordination unit of the Neurocenter Finland, at the University of Eastern Finland. Karppinen says that companies interested in cooperation in the Tampere region can also contact her.

Translated from https://www.tuni.fi/fi/ajankohtaista/aivotutkijat-yhdistavat-osaamisensa-tampere-brain-mind-verkostossa

Published on 16.3.2022 by Tampere University

Contact Tampere Brain & Mind Regional Manager Sari Karppinen, sari.karppinen@pshp.fi