The team

After working as a senior researcher at numerous research institutes and in the biomedical research industry (in both Finland and Europe), Adj. Prof. Filip Ekholm founded the Biomolecular Chemistry group at the University of Helsinki in 2017. The team consists of one senior researcher, two project researchers, three doctoral researchers and several undergraduate students.
Filip Ekholm

Head of the group (PI):
Adj. Prof. PhD. Filip Ekholm
Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki

Educational background: Adj. Prof. in biomolecular chemistry 2019 (University of Helsinki), Adj. Prof. in carbohydrate chemistry and applied NMR-spectroscopy 2015 (Åbo Akademi University), PhD. in organic chemistry 2012 (Åbo Akademi University), MSc. in organic chemistry 2008 (Åbo Akademi University)

Research expertise and interests: antibody-drug conjugates, biomolecular and bioconjugate chemistry, boron neutron capture therapy, cancer therapeutics, chemical biology, drug delivery, ocular surface diseases, organic and medicinal chemistry, NMR-spectroscopy and structural elucidation of organic compounds.

Tuomo Viitaja

Doctoral researcher:
MSc. Tuomo Viitaja
Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki
Ophthalmology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital

Educational background: MSc. in chemistry 2019 (University of Helsinki), BSc. in chemistry 2018 (University of Helsinki), BEng. in biotechnology 2012 (HAMK university of applied sciences)

Research expertise and interests: biofuels, ocular surface diseases, fungal metabolites and metabolic pathways, organic synthesis, surface chemistry, biophysics, waste water treatment

Henrik Stubb

Doctoral researcher:
MSc. Henrik Stubb
Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki

Educational background: MSc. in chemistry 2021 (University of Helsinki); BSc. in chemistry 2020 (University of Helsinki)

Research expertise and interests: organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, ocular surface diseases

Diana Barakhtii

Doctoral researcher:
MSc. Diana Barakhtii
Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki

Educational background: Erasmus mundus joint MSc. in advanced spectroscopy in chemistry 2023 (University of Helsinki, University of Lille, Leipzig University), BSc. in chemistry 2020 (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine)

Research expertise and interests: boron neutron capture therapy, medicinal chemistry, NMR spectroscopy, preclinical investigations

Julia Sevón

Research assistant:
BSc. Julia Sevón
Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki
Ophthalmology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital

Educational background: BSc. in chemistry 2023 (University of Helsinki)

Research expertise and interests: ocular surface diseases, biophysics, organic chemistry

Ioana Stefan

Research assistant:
BSc. Ioana Stefan
Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki

Educational background: BSc. in chemistry 2024 (University of Helsinki)

Research expertise and interests: organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry

Niko Havula

MSc.-student:
BSc. Niko Havula
Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki

Educational background: BSc. in Chemistry 2023 (University of Helsinki)

Research expertise and interests: organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry

Anna Metsäniemi

BSc.-student:
Ms. Anna Metsäniemi
Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki

Educational background: -

Research expertise and interests: organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry

Former group members

BSc. I. Stefan (University of Helsinki, 2024)

PhD. J. Matovic (University of Helsinki, 2024)

MSc. A. Hynynen (University of Helsinki, 2023)

BSc. M. Hellsten (University of Helsinki, 2023)

BSc. M. Särkiniemi (University of Helsinki, 2023)

BSc. N. Havula (University of Helsinki, 2023)

BSc. H. Lai (University of Helsinki, 2023)

BSc. S. Korpi (University of Helsinki, 2023)

PhD. M. Viljanen (University of Helsinki, 2023)

MSc. J.-E. Raitanen (University of Helsinki, 2023)

BSc. J. Sevón (University of Helsinki, 2023)

MSc. I. Sokka (University of Helsinki, 2022)

BSc. Z. Musse (University of Helsinki, 2022)

BSc. C. Schlegel (Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Austria, 2022)

PhD. R. Paananen (University of Helsinki, 2022)

MSc. R. Rättö (University of Helsinki, 2021)

MSc. H.Stubb (University of Helsinki, 2021)

BSc. S. Grönfors (University of Helsinki, 2021)

BSc. H. Stubb (University of Helsinki, 2020)

MSc. T. Viitaja (University of Helsinki, 2019)

MSc. J. Matovic (Erasmus Mundus ASC-program, 2019)

BSc. A.Hynynen (University of Helsinki, 2019)

MSc. H. Bland (University of York, U.K., 2018; University of Helsinki, 2019)

MSc. R. M. Ferrando (Erasmus Mundus ASC-program, 2018)