Medical association Duodecim selects each year persons that have been most influential in the field of medicine. This year´s list included two group leaders from Turku Bioscience Centre, Docent Sami Ventelä and Professor Jukka Westermarck. They both were awarded in the category of ”Scientific pioneers” (Tieteelliset tienraivaajat). The news and all awardees can be found >>here (in Finnish).

Sami Ventelä (left) and Jukka Westermarck (right)

Sami Ventelä

“Ventelä treats cancer patients at Turku University Hospital and leads a research group at the Turku Bioscience Centre. He has assembled a globally unique collection of patient material on head and neck cancers, through which Ventelä has made several significant new diagnostic discoveries that have been published in the field’s leading journal series. This year, he demonstrated the significant diagnostic role of the LIMA1 protein in selecting treatment for patients with head and neck cancer.”

Jukka Westermarck

“Professor of Cancer Biology at the University of Turku and Research Director at the Turku Bioscience Centre. He is one of Finland’s leading cancer researchers, whose research group has for more than 20 years investigated the signal transduction of cancer cells. In addition, he is an active advocate for science and research, emphasizing the importance of scientific work from the perspectives of society, healthcare, and the economy.”