Research aim: To understand how neuroinflammatory reactions are mediated in neurodegenerative diseases, especially at the level of non-coding RNAs. We use interdisciplinary approaches and novel, human based models to find novel therapeutic targets for the disease benefit. At present my research group consists of 1 senior scientists, 8 postdoctoral fellows, 9 PhD students, 3 technician and 3 undergraduate students. In addition, I am a secondary supervisor for another 9 ongoing PhD thesis. I defended my thesis on the role of glial cells in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) on 2006 (under primary supervision of Prof. Jari Koistinaho) and was the first to report the infiltration of bone-marrow derived cells into the AD brain. I carried out my postdoctoral year in Prof. Gary Landreth’s laboratory at the Case Western Researve University, Cleveland, Ohio focused on AD pathogenesis. My extremely fruitful one-year visit led to 4 publications and two other manuscripts in preparation and led to several new joint projects and grant applications. My recent research has led to a totally new research opening at the University of Eastern Finland and to a licenced patent application demonstrating the novelty and applicability of my research. I returned to the University of Eastern Finland to undertake the position of Assistant Professor in 2014 and was appointed as Associate Professor in Neuroinflammation (tenure track) in 2015. I received the Academy of Finland Research Fellow funding in May 2016, which is the most acknowledged funding in Finland for PIs at the stage of establishing their own research group. The research led by the applicant has a huge utilization potential as demonstrated by the Key project funding secured by the applicant in September 2016. I've published 80 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, have 2 patent(s) registered, organized 7 event(s) and received 3 awards and/or honors. Also I participate and/or participated as Principal investigator in 16 project(s).