FIMM Associated Group Leader Positions

The review of the applications was carried out on June 6 by a Search Committee composed of Professor Iain Mattaj (Director General of the EMBL) as well as Professors Bernt-Eric Uhlin, Ole Petter Ottersen and Kjetil Tasken, representing the other nodes of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine in Umeå and Oslo. Furthermore, Professor Ragnhild Lothe, the Chair of the Board of the Norwegian node participated in the review.

The Search Committee recommended invitations to be sent to 11 senior associate group leaders and four associated group leaders listed below. The first six candidates represented Academy/FiDiPro Professors and leaders of Centres of Excellence:

• Academy Professor Lauri A. Aaltonen ( University of Helsinki)
• Academy Professor Kari Alitalo ( University of Helsinki)
• Academy Professor Jussi Taipale ( University of Helsinki and KTL)
• Professor Willem M. de Vos ( University of Helsinki and Wageningen University, NL)
• Professor Sirpa Jalkanen ( University of Turku and KTL)
• Professor Jaakko Kaprio ( University of Helsinki and KTL)

• Professor Elina Ikonen ( University of Helsinki)
• Professor Heikki Joensuu ( University of Helsinki and HUS)
• Assoc. Professor Heli Nevanlinna (HUS)
• Professor Taina Pihlajaniemi ( University of Oulu)
• Professor Anu Wartiovaara ( University of Helsinki)

In addition four associated group leaders (less than 10 years of postdoc experience, but demonstrated PI potential) were suggested to be invited:

• Professor Akseli Hemminki (University of Helsinki)
• Assoc. Professor Iiris Hovatta ( University of Helsinki)
• Professor Matej Oresic (VTT)
• Assoc. Professor Jukka Westermarck ( University of Tampere)

At the moment, the review focussed on investigators who were considered scientifically excellent in molecular medicine with translational research impact and relevance to FIMM mission. In addition, the quality, novelty and potential impact of the specific FIMM translational research plan played a major role in the selection.

Taken together with existing faculty, there will now be 3 Academy Professors, 2 FiDiPro Professors — Professor Joe Terwilliger is a FIMM/Faculty of Medicine FiDiPro Professor — and leaders or members of six different Centres of Excellence affiliated with FIMM. Furthermore, most biocenters as well as HUS, VTT and KTL were included. At this step, this represents an invitation, to be confirmed upon mutual agreement to the terms of the associate group members.

Those applicants who were considered to have a primarily technical and infrastructure contribution will be contacted later to discuss their involvement at FIMM. These include contributions in several fields, such as bioinformatics, drug discovery/development (e.g. molecular modeling, HTS, HCS, mouse models, and links to EATRIS ESFRI effort) and those involved in biobanking (BBMRI ESFRI effort). Furthermore, due to the large number of applications in the fields of prostate cancer and diabetes, we are considering to launch a separate "FIMM research program/network" in these fields of research. Therefore, even though we could only accept a small fraction of all the applications, we will use the expertise and interest base of the applicants to help start these new national infrastructure and research programs, to be launched and announced shortly. All applicants will be notified of the next steps in the form of a personal email.

Finally, we wish to thank all the applicants for their interest to FIMM. This gives FIMM a good start to develop its national profile and carry on international recruitment. We look forward to working with the top scientists in Finland to achieve new breakthroughs in molecular medicine research and to help position FIMM at the global forefront in its field.