Academy of Finland Professor, M.D., Ph.D. Jaakko Kaprio has been appointed the new Director of the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM).

Kaprio takes up this position in October 2015. Since 2001 he has served as a Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at the Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki and as a Research Professor at the National Institute for Health and Welfare. He obtained his M.D. degree in 1976 and his Ph.D. in 1984 from the University of Helsinki. He has worked as a Visiting Scientist in the USA in several different universities. From 2007-2011 he was the Director of the Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence in Complex Disease Genetics. Since 2013 Kaprio has held an Academy of Finland professorship.
Kaprio is an internationally recognized and distinguished researcher. He has had a key role in collecting several Finnish twin cohorts for the University of Helsinki and in planning the long-term follow-up studies of the twins.
Kaprio’s own research area is genetic epidemiology. His central interests have been in the study of substance use and addictions, nicotine dependence in particular. Bu utilizing twin and family cohorts, Kaprio and his research group have identified genetic and environmental causes affecting smoking.
”It is magnificent that our new Director is a person whose scientific merits are exceptional and who has a broad, international vision. In addition, his research interests fit perfectly with the mission of FIMM,” says Professor Aarno Palotie.
”The decision to select Jaakko Kaprio as the new Director of FIMM was easy, since he has all the qualities we were looking for; knowledge and understanding of FIMM’s operational model, outstanding research expertise and leadership experience,” commented Professor Risto Renkonen, the chair of the Board of FIMM.
Photo: Veikko Somerpuro