Five MSc students awarded for health-related theses – Alko made a donation inspired by students’ attempt to empty their store

The Life Science Technologies Master’s Program at Aalto University has awarded five master’s students for their excellent dissertations completed in academic year 2018–2019. The winners were announced during the student orientation event on September 4.

According to Associate Professor Alexander Frey, Vice Director of the master’s program, the results produced in the awarded research projects were of very high quality and they will affect future research in the relevant fields. ‘The results might lead to, for example, new treatment methods or better solutions for brain imaging of children. Overall, we are very proud of the work conducted by these students,’ says Frey.

The thesis award amounts to 500 euros per student. Alko donated money for the awards to support development of health and well-being technology. With the help of this donation, Life Science Technologies program will award students for their excellent theses for three years.

Alko’s donation links to The Polytech Sobriety Association’s humorous attempt from last year to empty the Alko shop in Otaniemi. Due to this attempt, a client of Alko contacted the company and asked whether Alko could sponsor life science technology master’s students. Alko saw this initiative as a very positive one because one of its most important roles in the society is to promote responsible alcohol use. 'We are very happy about the donation by Alko, which helps Aalto University in recognizing student achievement and excellence in the field of Life Science Technologies,' says professor Juho Rousu, director of the programme. 

The Master’s Thesis Award is an incentive for students to write outstanding theses in the field of life science technologies and well-being as well as to highlight their findings to the society. The theses are evaluated based on a two-stage selection process, and fellow students from the program’s committee select the award winners.

The nominated awardees and the titles of their thesis are:

• Henriikka Vekuri.  Patient induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons as a model for a mitochondrial encephalopathy.
• Roni Hytönen. Dual-energy computed tomography in radiation treatment planning.
• Pauliina Hirvi. Generating head models for diffuse optical tomography of the child brain.
• Iris Hakaste. Förster resonance energy transfer analysis of a dynamic DNA origami nanocapsule.
• Heli Julkunen. Predictive modeling of anticancer efficacy of drug combinations using factorization machines.

Find more information about the Master’s Thesis Award here.