Dr. Kalevi Korpela is a full Professor of Psychology (Environment, health and well-being), Faculty of Social Sciences / Psychology, Tampere University (TAU, former UTA), Finland. His research in environmental psychology focuses on self-regulation, emotion-regulation, and well-being in favorite, unpleasant and restorative environments. His research interests also include place attachment and the role of nature exposure in recovery from work stress. Editorial Board Member in the Journal of Environmental Psychology. Publications: https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/persons/kalevi-korpela

 

 

PhD Students

 

Santtu Merjanaho: Nature connectedness and methods for deepening the experience – Participatory research with multidisciplinary cocreation process. Santtu is particularly interested in ecopsychological, phenomenological and indigenous approaches, as well as the methodology of grounded theory. He has background as a counselling psychologist and lecturer. He is a grant recipient from the Kone Foundation. 

 

Jane-Veera Paakkolanvaara: Luontointervention fysiologiset ja koetut vaikutukset. Her doctoral research focuses on the physiological and psychological effects of nature interventions/walks. She has a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Jyväskylä and pedagogical qualification to work as a subject teacher in Psychology. Alongside her doctoral research she is currently working as a psychologist in Regional Health Care Centre of Central Finland and in Psykologipalvelu Verso. Email: paakkolanvaara.jane-veera.x.@student.uta.fi; Phone: +358408289204

 

Yasushi Suko: The restorative (therapeutic) effect of nature sounds (e.g., birdsong, the sound of river flow) on human health. Yasushi has a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Tokyo, Japan; he is now a doctoral student in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tampere University (2020-2023). He is interested in applying the restorative effect of nature sounds to highly stressed people’s daily life. In 2019, he and his colleagues conducted a pioneering study in Japan which was to investigate whether nature sounds could be restorative for surgeons after surgery. An article on it will be published in spring 2020. Email: yasushi.suko(at)tuni.fi ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yasushi_Suko

Post doc researchers

 

Dr. Kirsi Salonen is a researcher in the project “Nature-based rehabilitation intervention for depressive patients: Randomized Controlled Trial” (2019-2021; TAU). In her PhD in Environmental Psychology, completed in June 2020, she examined the comperehensive nature experience and well-being in voluntary and supervised outdoor activity groups.

 

Dr. Tomi Nukarinen is a postdoctoral researcher at Tampere University with a background in psychology (M.A.) and interactive technology (PhD.). His mission is to study simulated environments that aim to produce real nature’s restorative effects. His particular interests include holistic measurement, multisensory environments, and meditative exercises. Tomi will be researching restorative virtual environments on Academy of Finland postdoc funding between September 2021 and August 2024.

 

Collaborators

 

Dr. Tytti P. Pasanen currently works as a Senior Researcher at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. In her PhD in Environmental Psychology, completed in January 2020, she examined the relationship between physical activity in nature and well-being. Tytti has a Master’s degree in Statistics, and she has been teaching quantitative research methods for Psychology students for several years. She is currently also involved in the Urban Favorite Places Study.

Dr. Eleanor Ratcliffe is a Lecturer in Environmental Psychology at University of Surrey, United Kingdom. She conducts research and teaching on restorative environments, place attachment, and sensory experiences of natural and built settings. Visiting Research Fellow at UTA: 2015-2017.

 

Dr. Kate E. Lee is an environmental psychologist who has, for example, studied green roofs and microbreaks in attention restoration. She is currently involved in the Urban Favorite Places Study. She works as Environmental Psychology Research Fellow in the Clean Air & Urban Landscapes Hub at University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 Australia. Visiting Research Fellow at UTA: 2016 and 2017.

 

Dr. Mikel Subiza Pérez is a post-doctoral researcher in Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain. He is currently involved in the Urban Favorite Places Study. He was a part of the Department of Social Psychology and Methodology of Behavioral Sciences in the University of the Basque Country (Spain) and he also belonged to the Research Group on Applied Criminology (CRIM-AP). Department of Social Psychology and Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basque Country, Spain. Visiting PhD student at UTA: 2017 and 2018

Dr. Katriina Hyvönen received her PhD in Psychology in 2011, and worked as a Senior Researcher at the Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä. In 2020, she worked in Tampere University and since 2021 in JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Jyväskylä. She is specialised in investigating individuals’ well-being and personal goals in large longitudinal studies. Her current research focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of nature-assisted interventions on employee well-being and depression patients. The aim of her research is also to develop and promote the use of nature-assisted interventions in occupational health services. https://www.jyu.fi/edupsy/fi/laitokset/psykologia/en/research/research-areas/work/projects/nature_environment/nature-environment; https://www.jyu.fi/edupsy/fi/laitokset/psykologia/en/staff/hyvonen-katriina-3; Email: katriina.hyvonen@jamk.fi

Dr. Simone Grassini is a researcher in cognitive neuroscience. His research interests cover the fields of visual perception, well being, and environmental psychology. He is investigating the neurophysiological markers of restorative effect of natural environments. He has been the principal investigator of the Greenbrain Project. Currently Associate Professor at the University of Stavanger. simone.grassini@ntnu.no; simone.grassini@uis.no; www.greenbrainproject.eu 

 

Dr. Viola Sallay is a clinical health psychologist and Assistant Professor at the Institute of Psychology, University of Szeged, Hungary. Her research interest includes qualitative (grounded theory) approach to emotional self-regulation processes in the environment, primarily in the family home. She is currently involved in a research project on the Hungarian version of the Favorite Places Questionnaire. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Viola_Sallay

 

Dr. Tamás Martos is a clinical health psychologist and Associate Professor at the Institute of Psychology, University of Szeged, Hungary. His research interests include the role of motivational processes and goal constructs in healthy human functioning, positive psychology, and systemic aspects of individual functioning. He is currently involved in a research project on the Hungarian version of the Favorite Places Questionnaire. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tamas_Martos

 

Dr. Anna Bornioli is a postdoctoral public health researcher with expertise in healthy environments, active travel, and healthy behaviours. Her PhD examined the psychological wellbeing potential of walking in urban environments. She is currently involved in the Urban Favorite Places Study. Research Fellow, Centre for Public Health and Wellbeing, University of the West of England-Bristol, UK. https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/AnnaBornioli

 

 

Dr. Jessica de Bloom is an Associate Professor and works both as an Academy of Finland Research Fellow at the University of Tampere (Finland) and as a Rosalind Franklin Fellow at the University of Groningen (Netherlands). De Bloom´s area of expertise concerns the interface between work and non-work and she is particularly interested in job stress and recovery from work as well as e-mental health and interventions to improve occupational health and well-being. She is currently involved in the Urban Favorite Places Study.

Mari Kukkamäki defended her PhD thesis on June 3, 2022 in Psychology/Tampere University. The opponent was Dr. Jussi Silvonen from the University of Eastern Finland.

Thesis: Luontotoiminnan hyvinvointivaikutukset lintujen rengastajilla. (The well-being effects of nature activities of bird ringers). https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/139693

Visitors

Dr. Viola Sallay, PhD, Senior lecturer, Department of Health, Personality and Clinical Psychology, University of Szeged, Hungary. Sept. 20.-26., 2017.

Dr. Tamás Martos, PhD, habil., Clinical health psychologist, Associate professor, Institute of Psychology, University of Szeged, Hungary. Sept. 20.-26., 2017.

Professor Kyung-Sook Bang, RN, PhD: College of Nursing, Seoul National University, South Korea. Jan 15 – Feb 13 & June 18 – August 16, 2018.

Dr. Mathew White, Senior lecturer, European Centre for Environment & Human Health (ECEHH), University of Exeter, Medical School, UK. Nov 28, 2018.