My research focuses on issues such as sustainable global health governance, pharmaceutical industry, stakeholder engagement, corporate responsibility, ethics among others, within the context of emerging economies of Africa.

Salla Atkins is a social scientist/health systems researcher with interest and expertise in social determinants of health, and the influence of social protection on health. She has lived and worked in South Africa, and has ongoing projects with Mozambique, South Africa, India and China. Her methodological approach is mixed methods, with expertise in qualitative research and qualitative systematic reviews.

I have worked as a researcher and teacher in higher academic institutions for the last 8 years. I obtained my bachelors in Public Health, and Masters in Biostatistics and Health Informatics. Currently, I am a doctoral researcher at University of Oulu. I am editorial member of reputable journals in my field.

Alex is a PhD student in social philosophy at Tampere University and an associate director - social specialist at Wardell Armstrong International. His research involves introducing critical theory approaches (e.g., Recognition theory, decolonial and critical gender theories), to implement novel practices in environmental, social, community health and human rights impact assessment studies. His work in ESG consultancy is largely conducted in the Global South, evaluating impacts from renewable energy, oil and gas, mining and infrastructure projects, with a focus on vulnerable groups.

Anndra Margareth Dumo is an international doctoral student in the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Eastern Finland, working on an international multi-disciplinary research team. The long-term goal of my PhD dissertation is preparing the next generation of nurses in genomics/genetics nursing field. My personal goal is to become a nurse scientist and contribute in the career advancement of the nursing profession. The Siun Sote - Northern Karelia Social Services and Health Services Authority has offered me training as a family practitioner, caring for people with special needs and disabilities. The Biomedicine Department is helping me to enhance and upgrade my skills by providing laboratory training. I have worked in different research projects as one of their researchers like INEXCA Project funded by the European Union Horizon 2020, and Disruptive Green Project funded by TEKES with the Clinical Nutrition Department in their Quinoa Project as a clinical research nurse. I am an active member of the International Society of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG) https://www.isong.org/

Aside from being a PhD student, I am currently a lecturer of Dental Public Health in an academic institute in Saudi Arabia. I have an MSc in Dental Public Health and a Joint master’s in health professional Education. I serve as a reviewer for several international journals and an section Editor in Frontiers Oral Health and have publications in reputable and hi-indexed journals. I am a core team member in global initiatives that address oral and mental health.

Dr. Raija Halonen acts as an Adjunct Professor and University Lecturer in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at the University of Oulu, Finland, in the Research Unit M3S. She is intested in e-Inclusion and how it can be built and supported by ICT-enabled solutions and applications. Before her academic career she worked on information systems both in the public sector and in private IT enterprises. She has contacts with health sector and several private companies. Her research topics include serious games, gamification and human approach in relation to information processing science.

Projects

A novel 18F-fluorine labeled tracer for imaging mitochondrial membrane potential based on fluorescent probe of JC-1

Relationship of vascular adhension protein-1(VAP-1) and cardiovascular factors

Evaluation of ammonia metabolism following carotid endarterectomy by PET imaging in human subjects

Dynamic study on 18F-FDG uptake after oral administration

Environmental health, analytical chemistry and toxicology relates studies related to plastic recycling, microplastics, sedimentology, mining, mining waters, mineral processing, geochemistry, geology and mineralogy.

My name is Moustapha Itani and I am a doctoral student in interdisciplinary environmental science at the University of Helsinki. I have always been passionate about exploring how multidisciplinary collaboration can answer complex research questions. Before I joined DENVI, I developed vegetation management plans for archaeological sites, systematically reviewed public health impacts of weaponised depleted uranium in Iraq, assessed mental health benefits of gardening on Syrian refugee women and developed a vegetation description method for conserving rare plants in cities. In my doctoral research, I particularly focus on pastoralism’s challenges and sustainability in the Global South. In Lebanon, we are facing one of the worst economic crisis in modern times. Here, the food security and livelihoods of most of the population are threatened. We need to rectify people’s misunderstandings on pastoralism, revitalize this method of food production and boost its contribution to GDP.