Risto Ilmoniemi

Senior Advisor

T314 Dept. Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering

I have built and designed multichannel MEG instruments and invented for MEG use the minimum-norm estimate (together with Matti Hämäläinen), the signal-space projection, formulas for the forward problem, the channel-capacity measure for comparing sensor arrays, and the triangle phantom. I have developed, together with many excellent students, several transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) techniques such as navigated TMS (nTMS), the combined use of TMS and EEG, and multi-locus TMS (mTMS). I am the founder and former CEO of Nexstim Plc, the company that brought nTMS and TMS–EEG to the market. Currently, I lead the development of mTMS and hybrid MEG–MRI systems and apply these technologies for neuroscience and clinical use. Much of my effort is devoted to the development of mathematical methods for improved brain-signal analysis and for data interpretation, often involving work on the bioelectromagnetic inverse problem.

Full researcher profile

https://research.aalto.fi/...

Sähköposti

risto.ilmoniemi@aalto.fi

Puhelinnumero

+358505562964

Osaamisalueet

Biodesign, Aalto Ventures Program, Human brain imaging, Applied Physics, Neurophysics, Biophysics, Electromagnetism, Bioelectromagnetism, Neuroscience, Biomedical engineering, Medical Technology, Neurotechnology, Brain imaging, Electrical impedance tomography, Functional magnetic resonance imaging, Magnetoencephalography, Electroencephalography, Brain Research, Neurostimulation, Ultra-low-field MRI, Brain stimulation, Navigated brain stimulation, Navigated TMS, Transcranial direct current stimulation, Transcranial magnetic stimulation, Brain connectivity, Brain modeling, Inverse problems, Signal analysis, SQUID magnetometers, Philosophy of mind, EEG, NIRS, TMS, NTMS, NBS, MMN, MRI, ULF MRI, MEG-MRI, MEGMRI, MEG, FMRI, EIT, M.Sc. programme Brain and Mind, BioMag Laboratory, BECS, Aalto Brain Centre (ABC), TDCS, TACS

Palkinnot

Towards real-time tractography-based TMS neuronavigation

Best poster award

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Jan 2021

Diffusion MRI processing pipeline for real-time tractography-based nTMS

Best abstract selected by the audience

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Nov 2019

Innovation of the Year Award

In recognition of exceptional work transferring research to innovation with both economical and societal impact.

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Dec 2017

Fellow of EAMBES (European Alliance for Medical and Biological Engineering and Science)

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Jan 2015

Knight, First Class, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Dec 2014

World Technology Award Finalist in Health & Medicine, The World Technology Network in association with TIME, Fortune, CNN, Science/AAAS, Kurzweil Technologies, and IEEE Spectrum

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Jan 2013

Fellow of ISFSI (International Society for Functional Source Imaging)

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Jan 2011

Member, Finnish Academy of Science and Letters

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Jan 2008

Innosuomi 2004 Prize awarded by the President of Finland, Ms. Tarja Halonen, to Nexstim Ltd., a company founded and led by Risto Ilmoniemi

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Nov 2004

First prize in the invention competition organized by the Foundation for Medical Technology, Finland

Electromagnetic brain mapping device, worth 5000 FIM, Sept. 25, 1997.

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Sep 1997

Julkaisut

Noninvasive Neuromodulation and Neuroimaging to Enhance Glymphatic Function for Neurodegenerative and Autoimmune Disorders in Next-Generation Personalized Treatments and Precision Neuropsychiatry : A Perspective Proposal

Castañeyra Perdomo Agustín, José L. González-Mora, Sophocles Goulis, Risto J. Ilmoniemi, Pantelis Lioumis, Nikos Makris, Stefano Pallanti 2026 Applied Sciences (Switzerland)

Conductivity Deviations as Virtual Sources in Magnetoencephalography

Seppo P. Ahlfors, Seok Lew, Matti S. Hämäläinen, Risto J. Ilmoniemi, Yoshio Okada 2026 Brain Topography

A first realization of reinforcement learning-based closed-loop EEG–TMS

Dania Humaidan, Jiahua Xu, Jing Chen, Christoph Zrenner, David Emanuel Vetter, Laura Marzetti, Paolo Belardinelli, Timo Roine, Risto J. Ilmoniemi, Gian Luca Romani, Ulf Ziemann 2026 NeuroImage

Magnetoencephalography oscillation-based functional connectivity identifies clinically relevant depression phenotypes

Wenya Liu, Maria Vesterinen, Alexandra Andersson, Paula Partanen, Samanta Knapič, Joonas J. Juvonen, Felix Siebenhühner, Antti Salonen, Hanna Renvall, Risto J. Ilmoniemi, Eero Castrén, Erkki Isometsä, Dimitri Van De Ville, J. Matias Palva, Satu Palva 2026 Nature Mental Health

Distinct cortical excitability and connectivity profiles within the human SMA complex

Francesco Lomi, Ali Jafarov, Fiammetta Iannuzzo, Timo Roine, Ida Granö, Juha Gogulski, Dogu Baran Aydogan, Ilkka Laakso, Mario Rosanova, Simone Rossi, Nikos Makris, Risto Ilmoniemi, Pantelis Lioumis 2026 bioRxiv.org

Design of Mechanical Durable TMS Coils for Safe Operation in High-Field MRI Environments

Jose A. Vílchez Membrilla, Víctor Salas Moreno, Maria A. Koponen, Victor H. Souza, Mario F. Pantoja, Risto J. Ilmoniemi, Clemente Cobos Sánchez 2026 IEEE Journal of Electromagnetics, RF and Microwaves in Medicine and Biology

Spatial activation of motor evoked potentials depends on paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation orientation and intensity

Shokoofeh Parvin, Joona Juurakko, Heikki Sinisalo, Giacinto L. Cerone, Alberto Botter, Risto Ilmoniemi, Harri Piitulainen, Victor Souza 2026 Clinical Neurophysiology

Real-time electric-field neuronavigation on realistic head models for conventional and multi-locus TMS

Ana M. Soto, Matti Stenroos, Renan H. Matsuda, Tuomas Mylläri, Kalle Jyrkinen, Heikki Sinisalo, Mikael Laine, Ida Granö, Risto J. Ilmoniemi, Victor H. Souza 2026 Brain Stimulation

Individualized TMS–EEG mapping reveals clinically relevant early prefrontal cortical activity in major depressive disorder

Elena Ukharova, Isabella O'Meeghan, Ida Granö, Sabin Sathyan, Emi Iizuka, Casper Tillander, Noora Kainulainen, Maercio Maia Alves, Melina Engelhardt, Paula Partanen, Maria Vesterinen, Satu Palva, J. Matias Palva, Timo Roine, Juha Gogulski, Zafiris J. Daskalakis, Daniel M. Blumberger, Risto Ilmoniemi, Pantelis Lioumis 2026 Clinical Neurophysiology

TMS–EEG-derived excitation/inhibition ratio as a diagnostic biomarker for major depressive disorder

Elena Ukharova, Isabella O'Meeghan, Ida Granö, Sabin Sathyan, Emi Iizuka, Casper Tillander, Noora Kainulainen, Paula Partanen, Maria Vesterinen, Satu Palva, J. Matias Palva, Timo Roine, Juha Gogulski, Zafiris J. Daskalakis, Daniel M. Blumberger, Risto Ilmoniemi, Pantelis Lioumis 2026 bioRxiv.org