Docent of Neurosurgery Mikael von und zu Fraunberg, MD, MSc (Tech), LLM, MSc (Econ. & Bus. Adm.), has been appointed as Director of Neurocenter Finland. Von und zu Fraunberg has served as Neurocenter Finland’s Director also during its planning and establishment phases in 2017–2020.
Established on 1 April 2021, Neurocenter Finland is a network of cooperation between seven universities and five university hospital districts. The mission of Neurocenter Finland is to promote Finnish neuroscience research and to accelerate the emergence of new collaborative openings and innovations. Neurocenter Finland has its background in the Growth Strategy for Health Sector Research and Innovation Activities, and in the Personalised Medicine project. The activities of Neurocenter Finland have been prepared with ministerial funding during 2017–2020.
“With the support of the ministries, we have created a good foundation for strengthening national collaboration. It’s been a pleasure to see how enthusiastically researchers have contributed to the establishment and development of regional networks. We are now heading towards closer national collaboration and, as a result, also international success,” von und zu Fraunberg says.
According to the agreement on the establishment of Neurocenter Finland, the term of office of its Director is three years. Von und zu Fraunberg will start his new term on 1 July 2021.
The position of Director of Neurocenter Finland is located in a coordination unit hosted by the University of Eastern Finland. Three applicants who met the qualification requirements applied for the position. The recruitment process involved several stages and a key role was played by the view of Neurocenter Finland’s management group consisting of representatives of the contracting parties. The Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Eastern Finland made the appointment on the basis of the management group’s statement.
