Professor Helena Korpelainen is the Director of the Department of Agricultural Sciences. She has studied population genetic variation patterns and plant adaptation, and developed molecular methods for the identification of both individuals and species. She teaches plant breeding, population genetics and topics related to genetic resources.
Helena's publications in the University of Helsinki research portal
Maria’s PhD studies focused on the reproductive and dispersal strategies of site-specific liverwort species occurring in the small habitat patches in the forest area. The study revealed amongst other things that small conservation areas matter. Since then she has worked in different biological and educational projects dealing with DNA barcodes, the threshold concepts of evolution and co-evolutionary patterns of grasses and their symbiotic fungi at the Department of Biosciences, MTT and Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). She is currently working at the University of Helsinki as a senior researcher in a project hosted by the University of Turku.
Sakina Elshibli (PhD) is currently, working on revealing the existing diversity and population dynamics of the critically endangered Medemia species, to contribute conserving the tree species and its threatened habitat. She utilizes DNA sequencing and genotyping approaches to fulfil these goals.
Sakina's publications in the Helsinki University Reseach Portal
Maria Pietiläinen (M.Sc) has been working in the group since 2005. She is a project researcher and University teacher. She has been working in the DNA Barcoding project of this group since it started.
Liisa Silvennoinen conducts her PhD research on population genetics of the Eurasian lynx. She also does some teaching, some laboratory work and other assignments at the University of Helsinki.