Henna Nikumaa

Henna Nikumaa is a postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Eastern Finland, affiliated with the Department of Law and the Neuroscience Research Community (NeuroRC). Her work focuses on elderly rights, particularly autonomy, legal capacity, and empirical legal research in dementia care.

• Member of the European Law and Ageing Network (ELAN)
• Founding member of the Finnish Network of Experts on Old Age Law (VAASI)
• Teaches old age law and welfare law research

Her research spans legal aspects of dementia, including autonomy limitations, legal foresight, and equal access to social security. She has published extensively in academic journals and book chapters, often targeting social and healthcare professionals. Current projects include Overcoming Barriers to Participation (OBaMa), Disability and Human Dignity, and Shadows in Paradise (rights of people with dementia in the welfare state).

Her recent publications analyze autonomy in dementia, legal capacity assessment, and policy impacts on elderly rights, with a focus on transportation laws, guardianship, and advance directives. She contributes to multidisciplinary initiatives like the Welfare Law Center and Neuroethics and Rights Research Group.