معرفی
Ilkka Tikkanen serves as Docent at the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine (Clinicum), and Supervisor for the Doctoral Programme in Biomedicine. He maintains dual affiliations with HUS Abdominal Center and the Unit of Cardiovascular Research at Minerva Institute for Medical Research, Biomedicum Helsinki, focusing on cardiovascular and renal pathophysiology.
His research investigates end-organ damage mechanisms in hypertension, heart failure, and renal disease, with emphasis on renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system components, vasoactive factors, and apoptosis. Recent work explores cardiac regeneration post-infarction using molecular and translational approaches, yielding clinically relevant insights into biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Analysis of recent publications (2024-2025) reveals three thematic clusters: molecular cardiology (miRNA biomarkers in shock), genetic determinants of diabetic complications, and experimental models of cardiac function. These span cardiovascular diabetology, interventional cardiology, and molecular biology, demonstrating interdisciplinary integration of clinical and basic research.
Scientific Awards: No specific awards are documented in the provided materials, though the Docent title represents significant academic recognition in the Finnish system.
Professor Tikkanen actively supervises doctoral candidates (7 theses as supervisor/co-supervisor) and serves on examination committees. His continuous publication record since 2001, including 25+ papers in the last five years, indicates sustained grant funding supporting research in cardiovascular therapeutics and pathophysiology.
He leads the Unit of Cardiovascular Research at Minerva Institute, fostering a collaborative environment that bridges clinical practice at HUS with basic science at Biomedicum. The lab emphasizes translational research using zebrafish models, human cohorts, and molecular techniques to address unmet needs in cardiac and renal repair mechanisms.
