“I was surprised and honoured to receive this recognition”, says Hanna Vuorenpää. “Especially when I saw the impressive list of preceding Björn Ekwall Memorial Award winners, I was even more astonished. I do like the idea that there are people in different countries who share the same passion and carry on the work of making the best out of non-animal methods”, she rejoices.
In her work, Vuorenpää has focused on replacing animal-derived components and employing an animal-free cell culture process without eg. fetal bovine serum or animal-derived antibodies. Her achievement also includes promoting alternatives to animal testing through teaching and outreach activities.
Vuorenpää is active as a current President of the Finnish National Consensus Platform for Alternatives to Animal Testing, member of the Finnish Project Authorisation Committee and the Finnish National Committee for the Protection of Animals Used for Scientific Purposes under the directive 2010/63/EU (the EU directive to protect animals used in animal experiments). The award includes the honor of following in the footsteps of Dr. Björn Ekwall, a personal grant, and an opportunity to speak at a conference.
Björn Ekwall Memorial Foundation (BEMF)