How did you first hear about SYNAPSE?

I was searching online for information about synaptic networks when one of the results led me to the company website. It caught my attention and I eventually contacted SYNAPSE for an open Senior Project Manager position in Madrid. That was now 6 years ago - I guess you could call it a lucky match!

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What is your role at SYNAPSE, and what are your main responsibilities?

I´m a Senior Project Manager and in these past 6 years I´ve been involved in the management of close to 10 large public-private partnerships covering a wide range of topics, including big data, data sharing and reuse, modelling, and the use of AI to improve research outcomes. In additional to traditional project management responsibilities, I specialize in project sustainability and have led and co-led sustainability activities across several of these initiatives. I also contribute to strengthening project communication as part of the SYNAPSE communication team in selected projects.

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‍What is your background?

I´m Finnish by birth and have been living in Spain for over 20 years. I studied Law and Political Sciences at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, which I later complemented with an Executive MBA at ESADE business school.

I´ve beenworking in the biomedical sector more than 15 years. Before joining SYNAPSE, I spent over a decade in cardiovascular research at the CNIC (Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research) where I held several roles, most recently serving both as Manager for Scientific Direction and as Coordinator of Research Support for the center.

‍What would you consider the biggest achievement of any project you’ve been part of?

That´s a tough question. I feel lucky to have been involved in many successful projects throughout my career, projects that have contributed to advancing scientific knowledge and, ultimately, to improving people’s lives and life expectancy.

That said, one of my current projects, VICT3R, is particularly close to my heart. The project is dedicated to developing and implementing Virtual Control Groups (VCGs), with a qualification process currently underway at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to advance the regulatory acceptance of this methodology. Achieving this milestone would enable part of the control animals traditionally used in toxicology studies to be replaced with virtual counterparts in the future, contributing to a meaningful reduction in the use of live animals. As an animal lover, being part of work that combines scientific innovation with tangible animal-welfare impact is something I find especially meaningful.

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Tell us more about yourself!

I’m a big fan of the Spanish tapas concept and Mediterranean food in general. Getting together with family and friends, together with some great tapas and a glass of wine, makes the perfect Friday evening for me.

I also love music and used to be part of a band when I still lived in Finland. Nowadays I mostly sing in the shower, but listening to good tunes is still one of my favourite ways to unwind.

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Thanks so much, Inari! We’re truly proud to have you as part of our team.

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