Department of Dermatology and Allergology

The purpose of basic education in dermatology and venereology is to provide medical students with sufficient knowledge and skills in identifying and treating the most common dermatological disorders and the venereal diseases that occur in Finland. Basic education emphasises the perspective of general practitioners and outpatient care on common skin diseases. The dermatology course is organised four times per year for fifth-year students. In addition to common dermatological disorders, it includes teaching on venereal diseases, chronic ulcers, skin cancers, paediatric dermatology, and allergology associated with dermatological conditions. 

Instruction in clinical allergology is provided on the course in microbiology and immunology for second-year students.

Advanced studies are research-oriented and part of basic education in medicine. At the Department of Dermatology and Allergology, advanced studies can be completed in research projects, either as part of a research group or a separate research project with a supervisor. Our discipline offers a wide variety of topics for research, including genodermatoses, the skin microbiome, skin cancers, chronic ulcers and atopic dermatitis. Embarking on advanced studies within research projects may also constitute the first steps towards completing a doctoral thesis (doctoral studies in medicine).

• Sirkku Peltonen, sirkku.peltonen@helsinki.fi  
• Alexander Salava, alexander.salava@helsinki.fi   
• Katariina Hannula-Jouppi, katariina.hannula-jouppi@hus.fi 
• Eija Hiltunen-Back, eija.hiltunen-back@hus.fi  
• Johanna Mandelin johanna.mandelin@helsinki.fi

The department is responsible for implementing specialist training in dermatology and allergology at the University of Helsinki. The duration of the training programme is six years, including practical training in various areas of our discipline as well as theoretical education. 

Read more about specialist training in medicine on the laaketieteelliset.fi website (in Finnish only).

Ongoing research activities

Neurofibromatosis and epidemiology of genodermatoses
Sirkku Peltonen, Professor

Atopic dermatitis
Cutavirus in skin diseases
Visual perceptual learning in dermatology 
Skin mikrobiome 
Alexander Salava, Clinical Instructor, Docent

Genodermatoses
Katariina Hannula-Jouppi, Chief Physician, Head of Department (HUS), Docent
Liisa Harjama, Specialist, MD, and research group

Skin cancers
Sari Koskenmies, Chief Physician, Docent; Mari Salmivuori, Specialist, MD; Vivian Lindholm, Specialist, MD; Kirsi Isoherranen, Chief Physician, Docent, and research group

Chronic wounds
Skin cancers and related premalignant conditions
Kirsi Isoherranen, Specialist, MD, and research group 

Angioedema
Johanna Mandelin, Specialist, MD

Melanoma
Olga Bugaeva, Specialist, MD

Mika Mäkelä Research Group

The research group works at the Pediatric Allergology Unit of the Skin and Allergy Hospital, which is primarily responsible for paediatric allergology operations of the HUS Group in smooth cooperation with the New Children’s Hospital. The group focuses on two disease groups: asthma in children and severe food allergies. Research on paediatric asthma focuses on pathophysiology, diagnostics and treatment. We aim to identify the determinant factors for the persistence and severity of the disorder in both tissues and parameters associated with respiratory physiology. In food allergies, the focus has been on the development of diagnostics based on molecular allergology analyses and on food desensitisation. The nature of research is heavily oriented towards clinical work, and laboratory analyses are carried out primarily with various domestic and international partners.