Central nervous system injury in fatal hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis
Aim: To identify neuropathologic markers of hypoglycemic and ketoacidosis-related brain injury. To explore mechanisms and improve medico-legal diagnostics of fatal hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis through neuropathology.
Material: Tissue samples and register-based data from medico-legal autopsies
Central nervous system injury in fatal substance intoxication
Aim: To examine the extent and potential mechanisms of brain and cervical cord injury in fatal substance intoxication. To advance the diagnosis and prevention of substance use-related spinal cord injury (Honkaniemi et al., Case Rep Neurol 2022).
Material: Tissue samples and register-based data from medico-legal autopsies
Neurodegeneration in traffic fatalities
Aim: To report the prevalence of neurodegenerative changes, and explore background characteristics, in drivers fatally injured in traffic accidents in Finland. To evaluate the role of latent (undiagnosed) neurodegeneration in today’s traffic deaths. To provide data for the prevention of potentially avoidable traffic deaths.
Material: Tissue samples and register-based data from medico-legal autopsies
Current practices in forensic neuropathology in Finland
Aim: To retrospectively review all Finnish medico-legal autopsy cases that have involved a neuropathologic examination from the year 2016 onwards. To obtain a view of the usage and findings of forensic neuropathologic examinations in Finland. To identify and expedite new openings that benefit both postmortem diagnostics and translational applications.
Material: Register-based data from medico-legal autopsies
Adverse health effects of doping, associated substance use and organ damage (AAS)
Aim: The AAS branch aims to improve ante- and postmortem doping use diagnostics, characterize organ damage associated with anabolic androgenic steroid use, and identify patient-related risk factors contributing to elevated morbidity and mortality in individuals with doping use.
Material: Register-based data and tissue samples from medico-legal autopsies (retrospective); register-based data from the HUS datalake, National care registers (Hilmo/Avohilmo) and reimbursed prescription medicines, maintained by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela).
Dying With Diabetes (DWD)
This newly launched branch focuses on diabetes in medico-legal cause-of-death investigation, with particular interest in acute and chronic complications, protective mechanisms of diabetes medications, and identifying individual risk factors of diabetic deaths. A key focus area is the utilization of data derived from diabetes management technologies in postmortem diagnostics. The branch collaborates with National Diabetes Register.
Project Update: New Publications Out, Successful Summer Trainees, and Launch of DWD (2026-09-01)
During the summer, two original articles related to the FINNE branch were published. The publications focused on the neuropathologic diagnosis of hypoglycemia, as well as epilepsy-related neuropathologic changes in acute head injuries. A comprehensive list of our publications can be found on the Publications page.
For the month of July, three promising research trainees joined our group. They worked on scientific writing related to the FINNE branch, each focusing on their own topic. This summer’s projects addressed neuropathologic findings in fatal substance intoxications, and the consistency of axonal injury changes in brain tissue samples. By the end of the month, all manuscripts were successfully completed. Thank you for excellent work, Lauri, Olli, and Totti!
Finally, we are very excited to announce the launch of a new research branch, DWD (Dying with Diabetes). Over the autumn, this branch will focus on the potential use of diabetes management technologies in postmortem diagnostics, as well as hypoglycemic and ketoacidosis-related brain injuries.
Templo Group is looking forward to a vibrant autumn!
Call for Research Assistants (in Finnish) (2026-02-02)
Oikeuslääketieteen osaston aivotutkimusryhmä (FINNE) etsii kolmea tutkimusavustajaa heinäkuulle 2026 (tarkat päivämäärät: 29.6.-26.7.2026).
Tutkimusavustajan työ käsittää tiedonhakua ja ohjattua tieteellistä kirjoittamista. Jakson tavoitteena on kirjoittaa tieteellinen artikkeli viikoittaisen etenemissuunnitelman ja tapaamisten ohjaamana. Työ on palkallista ja kokoaikaista. Etätyö onnistuu.
Tutkimusavustajan tehtävän menestyksekäs hoitaminen edellyttää syvällistä perehtymistä omaan tutkimusaiheeseen sekä korkeaa motivaatiota kehittyä tieteellisen tekstin kirjoittajana. Aiempi perehtyneisyys oikeuslääketieteeseen ja neuropatologiaan on eduksi, muttei välttämätöntä.
Kesän 2026 projektit käsittelevät seuraavia aiheita oikeuslääketieteellisessä kudosnäyteaineistossa:
1. Onko päihdemyrkytykseen menehtyneillä todettavissa kaulaytimen vaurioitumista?
2. Onko päihdemyrkytykseen menehtyneillä todettavissa aivojen aksonivaurioita?
3. Miten tasaista aksonivaurioiden esiintyminen on aivokudoksesta otetuissa näyteblokeissa?
Jos kiinnostuit, älä epäröi ottaa yhteyttä! Toivomme yhteydenottoa viimeistään 15.2.2026, jonka jälkeen lähetämme haastattelukutsut. Haastattelut pidämme viikolla 11.
Terveisin,
Petteri Oura, LT, dos, ryhmänjohtaja
petteri.oura (a) helsinki.fi
Funding Update (2023-05-01)
We are proud to announce extensive project funding for our neuropathology branch (FINNE) from the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation. The Foundation is renowned for supporting high-profile scientific research. Find the press release here (in Finnish).
