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Virology

Led by Professor Heikki Hyöty

Heikki Hyöty

CURRICULUM VITAE

 

  1. Personal details
  • HYÖTY, Heikki Antero
  • ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0370-4145
  1. Degrees
  • Title of Docent (virology), University of Turku, Finland, 1996, University of Tampere, Finland, 1994
  • PhD (virology), Medical Faculty, University of Tampere, Finland, 1989 (thesis defended 1988)
  • State license for practicing medicine in Finland (general practice), 1985
  • Medical Doctor, Medical school, University of Tampere, Finland, 1983
  1. Current employment
  • Professor of Virology (full-time), Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere, Finland, 1.7.2013-
  • Leader of the Tampere DIPP study clinic, Tampere University Hospital, part time, 2022-
  • Stage of academic research career: 4
  1. Previous work experience
  • Professor of Biomedicine and Virology, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland, 2004-2013
  • Senior Research Fellow, Academy of Finland, 1999-2004 (University of Tampere, Finland)
  • Senior lecturer, University of Tampere, Dept. of Virology, Finland, 1997-2002 (on leave 1999-2002)
  • Post-doctoral research fellow, Dept. of Virology, University of Turku, Finland, 1995-97
  • Research fellow, Dept. of Virology, University of Tampere, 1985-1995
  • Part-time doctor, Tampere University Hospital, Dept Microbiology, Finland, 1987-1993, 1997-2017 
  1. Career breaks
  • Military service, 11 months (second lieutenant) in the Finnish Defence Forces, 1988-1989
  1. Research funding and grants
  • Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International JDRF (several grants), EU (coordinator in 5 projects, partner in 3), NIH (co-investigator in 4 projects), Academy of Finland (leader of 2 consortia, 3 research grants), European Foundation for Study of Diabetes (2 grants), Novo Nordisk Foundation (1 grant), Helmsley Charitable trust (3 grants); National Technology Agency in Finland (several grants), Sigrid Juselius Foundation (3 grants), University Hospital of Tampere (several EVO grants), Sohlberg’s Foundation (4 grants), Diabetes Research Foundation (3 grants), the Tuberculosis Foundation of Tampere (6 grants).
  1. Research output
  • Scientific publications: 336 original articles (+160 articles as a member of a large study group) in international scientific journals, 45 review articles, 8 chapters in textbooks, 64 invited lectures in scientific meetings.
  • Selected important publications:
  • Laitinen OH, Honkanen H, Pakkanen O, Oikarinen S, Pulkki, MM, Huhtala H, Ruokoranta T, Lecouturier V, André P, Harju R, Almond JW, Simell T, Simell O, Ilonen J, Veijola R, Knip M, Hyöty H. Coxsackievirus B1 is associated with the induction of beta-cell autoimmunity that portends type 1 diabetes. Diabetes 63:446-55, 2014. First prospective study to identify T1D-associated EV types.
  • Sioofy-Khojine AB, Lehtonen J, Nurminen N, Laitinen OH, Oikarinen S, Huhtala H, Pakkanen O, Ruokoranta T, Hankaniemi MM, Toppari J, Vähä-Mäkilä M, Ilonen J, Veijola R, Knip M, Hyöty H. Coxsackievirus B infections are associated with the initiation of insulin-driven autoimmunity that progress to type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia 6:1193-1202, 2018. First study linking EVs to T1D subtype.
  • Vehik K, Lynch KF, Wong MC, Tian X, Ross MC, Gibbs RA, Ajami NJ, Petrosino JF, Rewers M, Toppari J, Ziegler AG, She JX, Lernmark A, Akolkar B, Hagopian WA, Schatz DA, Krischer JP, Hyöty H, Lloyd RE; TEDDY Study Group. Prospective virome analyses in young children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes. Nat Med. 2019 Dec;25(12):1865-1872. First large prospective virome study in T1D discovered role of prolonged EV infections.
  • Oikarinen S, Krogvold L, Edwin B, Buanes T, Korsgren O, Laiho JE, Oikarinen M, Ludvigsson J, Skog O, Anagandula M, Frisk G, Hyöty H*, Dahl-Jørgensen K*. Characterisation of enterovirus RNA detected in the pancreas and other specimens of live patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes in the DiViD study. Diabetologia. 2021 Nov;64(11):2491-2501. *Equal contribution. First study on EV RNA sequenced in pancreas in T1D.
  • Lietzén N, Hirvonen K, Honkimaa A, Buchacher A, Laiho JE, Oikarinen S, Mazur MA, Flodström-Tullberg M, Dufour E, Sioofy-Khojine AB, Hyöty H*, Lahesmaa R*. Coxsackievirus B persistence modifies the proteome and the secretome of pancreatic ductal cells. iScience 19:340-357, 2019. *Equal contribution. Discovery of proteome markers of EV persistence.
  • Hyöty H, Kääriäinen S, Laiho JE, Comer GM, Tian W, Härkönen T, Lehtonen JP, Oikarinen S, Puustinen L, Snyder M, León F, Scheinin M, Knip M, Sanjuan M. Safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of PRV-101, a multivalent vaccine targeting coxsackie B viruses (CVBs) associated with type 1 diabetes: a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled Phase I trial. Diabetologia 67:811-821, 2024. First in human phase 1 trial of the Coxsackie B virus vaccine.
  • Selected important research outputs:
  • Pioneering first prospective studies to evaluate viral etiology of type 1 diabetes. Milestone publication Diabetes 44: 652-657, 1995. Since then I have successfully used prospective research strategy in type 1 diabetes, celiac disease and allergic diseases, contributing to the confirmation of association of enteroviruses with type 1 diabetes, which was selected in 2021 by Nature-journal as one major diabetes research milestone since the discovery of insulin (https://www.nature.com/immersive/d42859-021-00002-5/index.html).
  • Leading role in the development of vaccines against type 1 diabetes associated coxsackie B viruses (preclinical trials, first-in-human trial (https://research.tuni.fi/virology/diabetes-vaccine-mission/).
  • Novel research strategy to obtain well-preserved pancreas tissues from patients with type 1 diabetes or islet autoantibodies (screening of diabetes and diabetes autoantibodies from cadaveric brain-dead organ donors). Our proof-of-concept study (Diab Metab Res Rev 26:585-592, 2010) formed the basis for the current international nPOD program (https://www.jdrfnpod.org/).
  • Innovative research strategy utilizing unique ecological setting based on two neighboring populations with similar ancestry but contrasting socioeconomic environments (Finland vs. Karelian Republic of Russia). Our initial EU project showed dramatic difference in type 1 diabetes and other immune-mediated diseases between these populations (Ann Med 37: 67-72, 2005; APMIS 121:478-93, 2013) and led to a series of further studies.
  • Development of a new hypothesis (polio hypothesis) that explains the increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes and testing this hypothesis in a series of studies (Diabetes Care 23: 414-416, 2000; J Med Virol 72: 610-617, 2004).
  • Novel method to improve immune regulation by exposure to environmental microbial biodiversity. Clinical trials with a forest soil -based extract have opened huge opportunities to improve the resilience of immune system (Sci Adv. 2020 Oct 14;6(42):eaba2578).
  • Leadership in several large research projects to study the pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases, particularly type 1 diabetes (e.g. coordinator of 5 EU projects, role in TEDDY, nPOD, DIPP studies).
  1. Research supervision and leadership experience
  • Supervisor in 17 PhD works for doctoral degree
  • Coordinator of five EU-funded international studies, leader of 2 Academy of Finland research consortia, chairman of the Infectious Disease Committee of the international TEDDY study, steering committees/advisory boards of several research projects. 
  1. Teaching merits
  • Curriculum planning, preparation of teaching materials, lectures and practical courses for medical students, several review articles in Finnish medical journals and chapters in international textbooks.
  1. Awards and honors
  • Heine-Medin award of the European Society for Clinical Virology, 1994; Research award of Wilhelm and Else Stockmann Foundation, 1993 and 1994; University of Tampere Medical School Award for distinguished scientific work, 1995; Mary Jane Kugel Award, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International JDRF, 2005; Long Finnish Research Tradition Award of the Finnish Society for Infectious Disease Research and Society for Finnish Microbiologists, 2006; 1st Tampere React Spark Award for distinguished work in health technology, 2010; Selected among the top ten Opinion Leader Scientists in health science sector by a Finnish medical journal MediUutiset, 2010, 2011 and 2013, and among top 100 in year 2017 and 2021; University of Tampere Medical School Award for Distinguished Scientific work, 2016; 10th Anniversary Pioneer Award of nPOD research programme, 2018; First Class Medal of the White Rose of Finland, 2021; Finnish Cultural Foundation (Pirkanmaa fund) annual prize for distinguished scientific work, 2022; Johnny Ludvigsson-prize, Swedish Childhood Diabetes Fund, 2023.
  1. Other key academic merits
  • Official opponent of 9 doctoral dissertations
  • Official examiner for 5 PhD thesis and 6 master works.
  • Official evaluator of the competence of applicants for the position of 2 professor positions
  • Reviewer of international and national scientific grant applications
  • Co-editor of the “Diabetes and viruses” text book (eds. Keith Taylor, Heikki Hyöty, Antonio Toniolo, Arie Zuckerman). Springer Science, New York, NY 10013, 2013.
  • Member of international nPOD consortium (http://www.jdrfnpod.org/), 2007-
  • Council member of the European Society for Clinical Virology, 2000-2005
  • Member/former chairman of Steering Committee of “Viruses in Diabetes International Study group”
  • Chairman and board member of VACTIA Center for Vaccine Research and Immunology (joint venture of the University of Tampere and private vaccine companies), 2007-16 (chairman 2010-16)
  • Co-leader of the Tampere University Research center for vaccines and immunology (VACCIM), 2022-
  1. Scientific and societal impact
  • Member of the National Vaccine Expert Committee (KRAR) of Finland, 2020-23
  • Nine patents/patent applications
  • Co-founder of 3 spin-off companies of Tampere University (Uute Scientific, Vactech, Greenseq)
  1. Other