Partner 6. National Public Health Institute (NPHI), Finland
Group leader: Tiina Paunio

This laboratory provides the consortium with knowledge of human genomic analysis. The NPHI group of human genetics (Department of Molecular Medicine), mentored by Prof. Leena Palotie-Peltonen, is one of the leading laboratories in the world in analysis of human genome at population level.

The molecular genetic analyses will be conducted at the Department of Molecular Medicine at NPHI. Docent Tiina Paunio is responsible for all the molecular genetic aspects of the proposal. The appropriate research environment, including the equipment to be used, are provided by the department. The project has funding from NPHI for handling of DNA as well as storage of samples. Rest of the laboratory material and reagents as well as biochemical and molecular genetic analyses will be applied for with the current proposal. The infrastructure of the Department of Molecular Medicine at NPHI is highly favourable for study of molecular genetic and biological background of complex disorders. The fluent and well-functioning expertise networks enable (i) accurate and effective analysis of DNA in large samples; (ii) sophisticated applications of bioinformatics required at various steps of the analyses, and (iii) computer-based statistical software and their application in adequate circumstances (for reference, see e.g Paunio et al., 2004).
Tiina Paunio has actively worked on the field of molecular genetics since 1990. She performed her MD in 1993 and PhD in 1995 on molecular biology of inherited amyloid neuropathy from Helsinki University. In 1996–1998 she performed her post-doctoral research period at CNRS-LGN, Hopital Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, on gene therapy of Parkinson’s disease. In 1998–2002 she was the study leader of a large international research program on familial schizophrenia. She has supervised three pro gradu works and is for the time being a supervisor in three doctoral theses. She obtained a research grant from Helsinki University Hospital for molecular genetic study of schizophrenia families with cognitive defects for yrs 2002–2003 and from Academy of Finland for study of genetic background of mood disorders in Finland for yrs 2004–2006. Her major research focus is concentrated on understanding the biological backgrounds of mood and sleep, with a particular focus on molecular genetic analysis of the psychobiologically relevant traits and features.
Collection of the H2000 sample has been an extensive national effort and list of people responsible for that study can be found at http://www.ktl.fi/tto/terveys2000/. Professor Jouko Lönnqvist, Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, NPHI, was responsible for the psychiatric part of the Health 2000 study and Docent Timo Partonen, Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, NPHI, will be responsible for the clinical items related to sleep and other features of the present study.