The world needs researched information and thought-provoking art.
The Sakari Alhopuro Foundation promotes and supports medical research, biodiversity, entrepreneurship as well as cultural and social well-being in Finland.
The Foundation specifically supports young doctors, so that they might have the opportunity to conduct research already during their studies and immediately after graduating. Art grants are also intended mainly for artistsin the early stages of their careers.
Medical Science
The foundation supports high-quality medical research by awarding grants in accordance with annually decided focus areas. In 2026, the grants will focus on research on interactions between microbes and humans.
Nature
More research data is needed about the impacts of climate change on our planet’s future. The Foundation seeks to advance an understanding of the biodiversity of nature as a means of promoting a more sustainable use of our natural surroundings.
Art
The Foundation supports Finnish art and culture in accordance with varying criteria that are decided on annually. In 2026, the grants will be awarded to artists who address aspects of climate change, biodiversity loss or the state of Finnish nature in their work.
Sakari Alhopuro:
THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS FOUND IN HELPING OTHERS
‘What is the purpose of life? As a doctor, I have often considered that the purpose of life is found in helping others’, states Sakari Alhopuro, founder of the Foundation.
Blogs
Get to know the work of researchers by reading our blogs!
New treatment alternatives for mild appendicitis
An inflamed appendix is, in many cases, a mild or uncomplicated condition that can be treated with antibiotics rather than a surgical operation. It appears that it might even be possible to heal mild appendicitis without antibiotics. Our research team is investigating whether antibiotic therapy and hospital care could be entirely avoided in the treatment of mild or uncomplicated appendicitis.A new method for borreliosis diagnostics under development
Tick populations and tick-borne borreliosis are increasingly found almost everywhere in Finland. If detected at an early stage, borreliosis can be efficiently treated with antibiotics, but the diagnostics of the disease is not always straightforward. Within the UpTick project, researchers are now developing a new assay method for a faster and easier diagnosis of borreliosis.Developing new anesthesia and analgesia methods for day surgery
Joint replacement operations are increasingly performed as day surgery, which offers faster recovery at home, reduced risk of infection, shorter hospital stays and cost savings. Anesthesia plays a key role in successful day surgery and, for that reason, researchers are now developing new anesthesia and analgesia methods.Articles
Jouni Niuro: The vibrant Archipelago Sea is an essential part of Turku's appeal
In order to improve the state of the Archipelago Sea, more co-operation, larger projects and impact assessments are needed. This is the view of Jouni Niuro, CEO of the Lieto Savings Bank Foundation, who is concerned not only about the unique marine environment but also about the attractiveness of the Turku region.Now is the time to prepare for future pandemics
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has been tackled, the threat of pandemics has not vanished. Scientists cannot say when the next pandemic will break out, what will cause it or how deadly it will be. All they know is that new pandemics will definitely appear in the future – and now is the time to prepare for them.Contact information
Sakari Alhopuro Foundation
Board of Directors of the Foundation
Professor of Bacteriology
Professor Emeritus of Environmental Research
Email addresses are in the form: firstname.lastname(at)sakarialhopuronsaatio.fi