I’m the Vice Head (responsible for research) of the Department of Social Research and a Senior Research Fellow at the Unit of Economic Sociology at the University of Turku, Finland. My research interests lie in exploring contemporary phenomena on the internet, with a particular focus on social media, using predominantly quantitative methods. Currently I’m leading an EU Horizon funded project which investigates and develops inoculation techniques for policymakers to identify, resist and counter disinformation. I’m also leading another project in which we are investigating the spread and influence of unreliable scientific information and misinformation. I’m also interested in investigating scholarly communication within digital landscapes, the potential utility of altmetrics for research assessment and online engagement metrics, bibliometrics, open science practices, and the dynamics of academic recognition systems. Additionally, I analyze online (social) networks and the dissemination patterns of digital information, as well as various cyber threats. For further details on my ongoing research endeavors, please refer to my current projects or feel free to get in touch with me directly.
Before assuming my current role at the Department of Social Research, I served as the head of unit at Economic Sociology, and before that as a Senior Researcher at the Research Unit for the Sociology of Education (RUSE) at the University of Turku. As a senior researcher, I played a pivotal role in a project aimed at advising EU member states on the advancement of Open Science and the modernization of research evaluation practices. Additionally, I led a project investigating the societal impact of Open Science within Finland. Prior to this, as a postdoctoral researcher, I delved into the realm of climate change communications online at VU Amsterdam and conducted analyses of scientific content from social media platforms for altmetrics purposes at the the Statistical Cybermetrics Research Group at the University of Wolverhampton. My academic journey includes earning a PhD from the Department of Information Studies at Åbo Akademi University, where I also attained the title of Docent in Informetrics.
New project! POLINOCULATE – Inoculating and coaching policymakers to resist and counter disinformation (2026-2029)
POLINOCULATE will develop a freely accessible AI coach, that will use psychological inoculation techniques and coach policy stakeholders to recognize, resist, and counter information manipulation, while safeguarding freedom of expression. The cognitive and digital tools will be co-developed and validated through a Mutual Learning Exercise (MLE), that brings together EU institutions, national decision-makers and researchers, ensuring clear pathways for impact and societal relevance.
POLINOCULATE will ensure that policy stakeholders will be better equipped to counter disinformation and have a better understanding of European disinformation landscape, legal and regulatory responses to disinformation, impact of independent media on spreading or countering disinformation, and of the actors opposing policy to counter disinformation.
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Academic writing retreats
Would you like to take your research team or unit on an academic writing retreat? Do you want to increase the productivity of your team, and at the same time increase well-being and a sense of community? I can offer a tested, productive schedule for a 2-3 day academic writing retreat, and engaging activities that promote not just writing, but also a sense of community and well-being for your research team, faculty, department or unit. Read more about what I can offer and then contact me so that we can start planning for a writing retreat for your team.
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Affiliations
University of Turku
Statistical Cybermetrics Research Group
University of Wolverhampton
Information Studies
Åbo Akademi University