Helsingin Yliopisto (Finland)

Prof. Olli Vapalahti, MD, leads the Viral Zoonoses Research Unit at UH Faculties of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine has extensive experience in zoonotic and arboviral diseases research. His research work on neuropathogenic flaviviruses provided key evidence for the causative role of ZIKV in foetal brain damage. Prof. Vapalahti contributed to early COVID-19 response in Finland and led molecular surveillance for SARS-CoV-2. As a clinical microbiology specialist and chief physician at the Helsinki University Hospital Diagnostic Center, Prof. Vapalahti applies his expertise in emerging infectious diseases. Moreover, Prof. Vapalahti has coordinated several research consortia for SARS-CoV-2 drug screening, vector-borne diseases and climate change, zoonotic viromes, and emerging viruses in Kenya. His engagement strengthens the consortium in the areas of rapid detection, pathogenesis, transmission, and control of viral spread. His expertise in the ecological aspects of infectious diseases will support the consortium in developing comprehensive strategies that consider environmental and wildlife reservoirs of disease. On the other hand, his public advisory roles will facilitate the alignment with public health policies and regulatory frameworks, enhancing the impact of REFINE research findings.

Assoc. Prof. Giuseppe Balistreri is an expert in viral cell entry mechanisms, and in the development of novel antiviral therapies and improved vaccines. His research team complements the consortium by providing expertise in genome-wide screening approaches, development and validation of novel antiviral strategies, high-content imaging, and mechanisms of endocytosis and intracellular membrane trafficking. The work of the Balistreri lab is integrated into a large network of national and international collaborations that include Harvard Medical School, Stanford University, and ETH Zurich. Within REFINE, Dr. Balistreri is responsible for collaborations with all three non-EU partners. These associated partners stand ready to support the accomplishment of REFINE objectives by providing; i) high-yield flavivirus-like particles (Dr. Jason Mackenzie, University of Melbourne, Australia),  ii) state-of-the art single-molecule imaging (Dr. Merja Joensuu, University of Queensland, Australia), and iii) tissue-targeting flavivirus fusion inhibitor peptides (Dr. Axel Brunger, Stanford University, USA).

Adj. Prof. Eili Huhtamo is an expert in the diagnostics, detection, characterization, and molecular epidemiology of orthoflaviviruses. She has expertise in isolating orthoflaviviruses from patients and from mosquitoes. She is responsible for both field and BSL-3 work on mosquito borne flaviviruses at UH. With active national and international collaborations, her team studies mosquito and patient materials collected in Finland, Italy and Kenya. Her expertise in orthoflavivirus isolation, culture, classical virology techniques and biosafety will facilitate the validation phase of the work proposed in WP3 and WP4 using authentic pathogenic viruses.

Prof. Sarah Butcher brings structural biology and bioinformatics expertise to the consortium. Her contributions have been essential for atomic-level understanding of virus evolution and host-virus interactions for SARS-CoV-2, enteroviruses and flaviviruses, with applications in vaccine development and antiviral strategies. She chairs the Instruct ERIC ESFRI Council, which develops structural biology strategies across Europe, and coordinates the development of national and international access to structural biology resources in Finland for academic and industrial purposes.