Prof. Tarja Sironen

Can you share a little about yourself and your research?

I am professor of emerging infectious diseases from University of Helsinki. I lead a multidisciplinary One Health team that is working towards better understanding of why we have more and more outbreaks these days, and what can we do to respond better. Most oubreaks are caused by viruses originating from wildlife, so I focus on understanding the disease dynamics and transmission in the animals, and I believe that if we can increase the health of the environment and the animals, we could actually decrease the number of outbreaks.

Hoe does your research fit into the bigger picture of Durable?

My research is in the very core of Durable, we are responding to oubreaks, whether it is avian influenza on fur farms or Marburg virus in bats. We develop and test new diagnostic tools, and discover new viruses in wildlife.

What motivates you to be part of Durable?

Durable is an excellent network of wide expertise made easily available to the partners. An outbreak situation requires swift action and multidisciplinary knowledge that one research group alone could never have. Outside of emergencies, I have found it extremely inspiring to be part of the network that openly shares their best knowledge across the consortium.

What do you expect to accomplish in the upcoming years within your own institute and by being connected to Durable?

We plan to be a national competence centre for pandemic preparedness, producing research results of highest quality. Our research hopefully supports the global efforts to mitigate the impact of infectious disease, and increases the health of the people, the animals and the environment. To ensure this impact, we will need to work closely with health authorities and policymakers.

What do you expect from Durable in the upcoming near future?

Durable has been the most inspiring community of reseachers, and it pushes me to reach for the high gain projects instead of staying in the comfort zone. I expect to have even better research ideas and new connections to work with.