Mariella Särestöniemi, University of Oulu

What have you studied and what influenced this choice back in the day? 

I started my studies in the Electrical Engineering programme at the University of Oulu, specialising in radio and telecommunications engineering. At school, I particularly enjoyed mathematics and physics, but ever since I was a child, I had dreamed of studying medicine. However, I had not had enough time to prepare properly for the entrance exams, so I did not get into medical school on my first attempt – and ended up studying electrical engineering instead.

My university years coincided with Nokia’s period of rapid growth, when there were plenty of opportunities for summer and part-time jobs in the field. Through these experiences, my interest in radio engineering quickly grew, and I never ended up applying to medical school again.

I did my Master’s thesis in telecommunications engineering at the Centre for Wireless Communications at the University of Oulu and continued there with doctoral studies. Later, my interests shifted towards telecommunications engineering for medical applications, which led to my first doctoral thesis.

Today, I work in a multidisciplinary research environment that brings together medical engineering, radio engineering and health sciences.

How did you end up in your current position? 

After completing my first PhD, I had the opportunity to continue as a postdoctoral researcher at the university in a multidisciplinary research project combining technology and medicine. I worked simultaneously in research units within both the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering and the Faculty of Medicine.

At the same time, I completed my second PhD in the Faculty of Medicine, in the field of health sciences. This collaboration across disciplines proved to be a very exciting path towards my current career, where I combine technological expertise with healthcare research and development. 

What is the best thing about your job? 

The best thing about my work is the opportunity to conduct meaningful research by developing new solutions for the healthcare needs of the future. I particularly enjoy multidisciplinary collaboration, where experts from different fields of engineering and medicine work together to solve problems and develop new innovations.

I am also fascinated by the creativity involved in research. The work is not simply about applying existing knowledge; it gives you the opportunity to explore entirely new solutions and approaches and to look for answers to questions for which no ready-made solution exists yet.

What have been the highlights and key lessons of your career? 

Both of my PhDs, as well as the recognition I have received for my research, have naturally been important milestones in my career. Perhaps the most rewarding moments, however, are those when a multidisciplinary research team succeeds together in developing a new idea or solution to an important challenge or problem.

The most important lesson I have learnt is that enthusiasm and motivation can take you a long way. There is almost no limit to how much you can learn when you remain curious and motivated to develop your skills. My own career is a good example of how technology and medicine can come together in unexpected ways.
 

What are your plans and goals in the future? 

I hope to continue working in multidisciplinary research, developing wireless, wearable and portable solutions for healthcare monitoring and diagnostics. The aim is to create technologies that could be used not only in hospitals, but also in health centres, ambulances and even for monitoring patients at home.

I consider it particularly important that future solutions could improve access to healthcare and reduce regional inequalities. It would be great to see some of our research ideas eventually put into practical use and benefit people in areas where travelling to specialised healthcare services can involve long distances.