Laura Airas
Professor of Neuroimmunology at the University of Turku 🇫🇮
Neurologist Laura Airas is Professor of Neuroimmunology at the University of Turku, Finland, where she also obtained her MD. After graduation, and then completing her PhD on immunology and cell biology, she specialized in neurology, obtaining a neurology consultant status in 2001 and the title of docent in neurology in 2007.
She founded her own research group in 2002, studying the immunology of pregnancy in MS. Currently, she leads a research group to develop treatments for neuroimmunological diseases where no effective treatments are yet available, such as progressive MS. The group’s main aim is to elucidate the pathological mechanisms of progressive MS by using a multi-modal approach which includes PET, advanced MRI, and soluble biomarker analysis.
Professor Airas is an experienced clinician, and well connected with scientists of different backgrounds. She spends half of her professional time as a clinical neurologist, consulting for MS patients, while also actively participating in research and clinical trials for MS.
Laura Airas has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles in international journals. In 2015 she received an international Grant for Multiple Sclerosis Innovation award, and in 2016–2017 she spent an academic year as a visiting professor at Yale University, Connecticut, USA.