Celebrating inspiring women – Three professionals shaping the future

Inspiring International Women’s Day!

The University of Oulu is home to incredible women – phenomenal experts who are shaping a better future through their work. In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2025, we’re highlighting three outstanding women building a better future in their fields.

Veera Juntunen

Veera Juntunen and her team are developing a groundbreaking panel where nanoparticles generate hydrogen using only water and light.

As a doctoral researcher in the Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, Juntunen specializes in photocatalytic films and devices designed to maximize solar energy harvesting. Beyond her research, she is passionate about science communication, teaching, and mentoring students.

Her team's hydrogen production method, based on photocatalysis, stands out from traditional techniques. It is a much simpler, more direct process that requires no electricity. Thanks to PoC funding, they have successfully scaled up their first prototype, with the ultimate goal of enabling solar hydrogen farms to produce clean energy even in remote areas without access to electrical grids.

Adriana Ferancova

Adriana Ferancova is working as the project manager for the ACRA R2B project at the University of Oulu, which aims to create a compact, rapid, and cost-effective tool for detecting arsenic in water. Picture: Tuija Kallio.

Adriana Ferancova is a researcher at the University of Oulu’s Measurement Technology Unit in Kajaani. She is originally from Slovakia, where she studied analytical chemistry and earned her PhD. Since 2009, she has been working in Finland, and in 2013, she began her work at the University of Oulu. She has received docentships from both, Åbo Akademi and University of Oulu. Specializing in electrochemical sensors and biosensors, her work focuses on developing innovative solutions for sectors such as cleantech and healthcare monitoring. 

Currently, Ferancova is working as the project manager for the ACRA R2B project at the University of Oulu, which aims to create a compact, rapid, and cost-effective tool for detecting arsenic in water. The project addresses a critical issue affecting 94–220 million people worldwide, who are at risk of exposure to naturally occurring arsenic or industrial arsenic-contaminated water. Ferancova’s team is developing a sensor-based device for arsenic detection, with the potential to expand into monitoring other contaminants. In their R2B project, the team is currently also exploring commercialization opportunities for the solution.

Johanna Huhtakangas

Johanna Huhtakangas is developing a new innovation for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

Rheumatologist and researcher Johanna Huhtakangas, based at Kuopio University Hospital, is working on an innovation that could function like cortisone — but without its side effects.

Her idea was sparked by a question: Could the anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin D be leveraged in rheumatoid arthritis treatment? This led to a collaborative effort involving orthopedic specialist Petri Lehenkari, a professor of cell and developmental biology, and researcher Jere Huovinen from the University of Oulu.

Currently, the research is a joint project between the University of Oulu and the University of Eastern Finland. Oulu’s team is focused on pharmacokinetics, studying how the drug is absorbed, distributed, and metabolized in the body. Meanwhile, researchers in Eastern Finland are developing the actual drug formulation. With R2B funding, the team is also evaluating the commercial potential of their innovation.