Merja Voutilainen

Merja Voutilainen is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy. Her work spans pharmacology, neuroscience, and regenerative medicine, focusing on neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and ALS. She supervises doctoral programs in Brain & Mind and Drug Research.

Education:

• PhD in Pharmacology, University of Helsinki (2004-2010)

Research Interests: Merja’s research centers on neuroprotection, remyelination, CDNF-based therapies, and gene transfer applications for dopamine neuron preservation. She also investigates biofouling prevention in neural implants and ER stress regulation in neurodegenerative models.

Scientific Awards:

• Adjunct Professor (Docent) of Pharmacology and Drug Development (2016)
• Innoopeli Prize 2022

Grants & Collaborations: She has secured grants from the European Commission (ERC-POC), Sigrid Juséliuksen Säätiö, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, and others. Collaborations include institutions in Finland and international partners.