The newly appointed Professor of Practice will build bridges between scholars and students of pharmacy, and business and industry.
Tuija Keinonen, PhD (Pharm), was appointed as a Professor of Practice at the University of Eastern Finland’s School of Pharmacy in early October, bringing with her extensive experience in corporate management and in the pharmaceutical industry. Besides her role as a part-time Professor of Practice, she currently serves as an Advisor to the Board and Management of Rokote Laboratories Finland Ltd and as the Chair of the Board of TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd. She is also a partner in few of the field’s innovative companies.
The School of Pharmacy is the first unit at the Faculty of Health Sciences to establish its own Professor of Practice position. The field of the two-year position is pharmaceutical translation and innovation, seeking to promote the clinical translation of pharmaceutical research findings and innovations. Currently, the university also has Professors of Practice in law, business studies and photonics.
“I hope my experience will help in building bridges between researchers and Master’s level students, and the corporate world, and business and industry,” Keinonen says.
The School of Pharmacy already has extensive collaboration in place with companies, with a particular strength in contract research that supports the operations of pharmaceutical companies, such as feasibility studies for new technologies. “Companies greatly benefit from this type of research, as the results accelerate their own product development processes.”
The goal of the university’s internationally renowned Drug Discovery and Delivery Technologies research community, DrugTech, is also to expand collaboration between research groups and the pharmaceutical industry.
“We want research results to better serve society and the pharmaceutical industry. Given her background, Keinonen is in an excellent position to support this work and bring it to a whole new level,” says Professor Antti Poso, Director of the DrugTech research community.
According to Vice Dean, Professor Markus Forsberg, many researchers have a clear need for a mentor who understands the field’s players and the needs of companies, especially during the preparation and implementation of industry-driven research projects and university-business collaboration initiatives.
Keinonen also wants to accelerate the commercialisation of innovations arising from research into products and services. “I am available for consultation whenever a researcher is considering launching a start-up, for example.”
“This is also a good opportunity to explore entirely new ways of doing things,” Forsberg notes.
Knowledge transfer across the career
According to Professor Jarkko Ketolainen, the Head of the School of Pharmacy, Keinonen’s extensive experience, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry service business, complements the school’s more traditional pharmaceutical industry expertise. Keinonen has previously served as a partner, CEO and Director of Clinical Research in the contract research organisation Medfiles Ltd. Medfiles was the first spin-off from the School of Pharmacy, growing into a company of over 150 experts during Keinonen’s time there.
“Many students of pharmacy are interested in clinical drug trials, which are strictly regulated. Mastering those procedures makes it easier to secure employment in the field’s companies,” Forsberg notes.
A key task for the Professor of Practice is to enhance the professional skills of pharmacy graduates and broaden their perspectives on various career paths. “There are numerous opportunities in the field, including in research, pharmacies, industry and regulatory authorities,” Keinonen notes.
The role of the new Professor of Practice will be shaped to cater to the needs of researchers and students. Planned activities include workshops, lectures and one-on-one mentoring.
One channel for knowledge transfer is the DrugTech research community’s mentoring programme, which was launched a year ago and has already proven its necessity. According to Poso and Professor Jarkko Rautio, the Director of the Doctoral Programme in Drug Research, there is interest in mentoring not only among doctoral researchers but also among more seasoned researchers who are looking for tools to advance their careers.
Having herself graduated and earned her doctorate from the School of Pharmacy in Kuopio, Keinonen has engaged in extensive collaboration with the university over the years. “Now, however, I have an opportunity to look at things from a different perspective, and certainly to learn new things myself as well.”
Diverse activities and networking are important to Keinonen, who, in addition to serving on various boards and in expert roles, is also an Honorary Consul of Estonia. Since 2020, she has also been the CEO of a specialist company she founded. “Working at the university is a truly interesting and pleasant addition to this mix.”
For further information, please contact:
Professor of Practice, PhD (Pharm) Tuija Keinonen, tuija.keinonen@uef.fi, +358 50 555 1541
Professor Jarkko Ketolainen, Head of the School of Pharmacy, jarkko.ketolainen@uef.fi, +358 40 355 2486
