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.
Medical Science
The Foundation specifically supports young doctors, so that they might have the opportunity to conduct research already during their studies and immediately after graduating.
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. The next round of grants will be awarded to artists who address aspects of climate change, biodiversity loss or the state of Finnish nature in their work.
What's new
Foundation funding of over half a billion euro for science, art and civil society projects
In October, the European Day of Foundations and Donors will be held as a reminder of the valuable work being carried out by foundations and their significant role in society.
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!
Brain metabolic alterations intrigue researchers
Our brain works in a selfish manner to safeguard its own energy uptake. To satisfy its own needs, the brain is capable of modifying the metabolism of other body organs. It is interesting – and worrying – that brain metabolic alterations seem to be associated with the increased risk of the onset of memory and mental disorders, in addition to elevated blood sugar and type 2 diabetes.An invisible threat – concentrations of nanoplastics in the Archipelago Sea are now being measured
Nanoplastics are tiny pieces of plastics, smaller than bacteria, which originate as a result of the wearing and breakdown of plastics. We are already quite familiar with microplastics, but nanoplastics are still lesser known. Nanoplastic particles are 1,000 times smaller than microplastics. In addition to our environment, they have been found in human bodies, even in breast milk. There is an obvious need for researched information.Our brain favours harmony
Music is one of those experiences that brings joy and inspires emotions universally. But why do we find pleasure in listening to music? One of the keys is harmony, which rests on the perception of certain musical notes as pleasant or unpleasant.Articles
‘My path to research began on the island of Seili’
In the summer of 2011, biology student Katja Mäkinen could not have imagined that her first internship in the field, at the Archipelago Research Institute of the University of Turku, would alter her dreams of becoming a teacher. However, that’s exactly what happened, and that field work on Seili sparked her interest in research work and led her to a career as a researcher.Fighting the coronavirus with nasal sprays
According to researchers at the University of Helsinki, coronavirus infections can best be prevented by means of a nasally administered vaccine. In addition to the vaccine, the researchers are also developing a nasal spray to serve as a ‘biological mask’. These are two separate preparations, which are based on different technologies and used differently. The nasal spray may complement the protection provided by vaccines and be particularly suitable for individuals responding poorly to vaccines.The first ever Sakari Alhopuro Prize awarded to Professor Kalervo Väänänen and archipelago nature photographer Jaakko Ruola
The Sakari Alhopuro Foundation’s Board has selected Professor Kalervo Väänänen and nature photographer Jaakko Ruola as the recipients of the Sakari Alhopuro Prize. The prize is awarded in recognition for their influential contribution to the protection of the Archipelago Sea. Now awarded for the first time, the prize sum amounts to 50,000 euro to be shared by the prize winners.Saving the Archipelago Sea calls for legislative actions, the stick and the carrots
The Archipelago Sea is one of the most spectacular natural environs in Finland – but for how long? Eutrophication caused by phosphorus and the resulting algal blooms in the sea pose a serious threat to the natural and recreational values of the unique marine environment and the various forms of livelihood in the archipelago. Immediate, binding and efficient actions are needed to reverse the current development.Professor Pentti Huovinen received the A. I. Virtanen Prize
Named after the only Finnish Nobel laureate in science, the A .I. Virtanen Prize has been awarded to Professor Pentti Huovinen in recognition of his internationally significant research in the field of bacteriology.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