Heikki Irjala
MD, PhD
Otorhinolaryngology; Head and neck surgery; Cancer research
2002 PhD thesis "An Immunotherapeutic Approach to Cancer of the Head and Neck"
2009 Specialist in Otorhinolaryngology
2014 Adjunct Professor of Otorhinolaryngology
2015 Specialist in Head and Neck Surgery
2017 Special Competence in Medical Education
Research is focused on cancer of the head and neck including both clinical aspects (quality of life, treatment methods and outcome, diagnostics, etc.) and basic science like cancer immunology and cell trafficking.
Clinical lecturer (Otorhinolaryngology) 2012-2015
Personal teacher mentor for medical students from 2012
Supervisor of several PhD students
- European surgical guidelines: transoral robotic surgery for head and neck cancers (2026) Lechien, Jérôme R.; Paleri, Vinidh; Baudouin, Robin; Brunet, Aina; Chiesa-Estomba, Carlos M.; Crosetti, Erika; De Vito, Andrea; Cammaroto, Giovanni; De Virgilio, Armando; Fakhry, Nicolas; Golusinski, Wojciech; Irjala, Heikki; Lang, Stefan; Leemans, C. Rene; Moriniere, Sylvain; Saibene, Alberto M.; Sampieri, Claudio; Siddiq, Somiah; Vander Poorten, Vincent; Viros Porcuna, David; Vergez, Sébastien; Briganti, Giovanni; Maniaci, Antonino; Remacle, Marc; Simon, Christian; Hans, Stéphane
- MRI edema patterns in acute neck infections: A multicenter and multidisciplinary interobserver study (2026)
- European Journal of Radiology
Vierula, Jari-Pekka; Aro, Katri; Bode, Michaela; Haapio, Eeva; Hakumäki, Juhana; Happonen, Tatu; Hollmén, Carita; Huhtanen, Heidi; Irjala, Heikki; Jouppila-Mättö, Anna; Jussila, Ville; Kaapu, Kalle; Karhu, Jari O.; Koivunen, Petri; Kolasa, Marcin; Kovalainen, Antti; Kurdo, Goran; Kytö, Eero; Laurikainen, Tiina; Lindén, Riikka; Martikainen, Ilkka; Nyman, Kristofer; Paananen, Timo; Paavilainen, Teemu; Saravo, Jarkko; Tähtinen, Jutta; Tammilehto, Ville; Velhonoja, Jarno; Ånäs, Niklas; Sirén, Aapo; Heikkinen, Jaakko; Nurminen, Janne; Nyman, Mikko; Mattila, Kimmo; Hirvonen, Jussi
- Restoring the tumour mechanophenotype of vocal fold cancer reverts its malignant properties (2026) Kaivola, Jasmin; Punovuori, Karolina; Chastney, Megan R.; Abdo, Hind; Follain, Gautier; Mathieu, Mathilde; Joshi, Omkar; Miroshnikova, Yekaterina A.; Krautgasser, Fabian; Di Franco, Jasmin; Conway, James R. W.; Held, Sofia; Bertillot, Fabien; Hagström, Jaana; Mäkitie, Antti; Irjala, Heikki; Ventelä, Sami; Hamidi, Hellyeh; Scita, Giorgio; Cerbino, Roberto; Wickström, Sara A.; Ivaska, Johanna
- Spatial single-cell analysis reveals tumor microenvironment signatures predictive of oral cavity cancer outcome (2026) Näsiaho, Joni; Nissi, Linda; Ventelä, Sami; Irjala, Heikki; Salmi, Marko
- Added value of HPV-DNA in situ hybridization as an adjunct to p16 Immunohistochemistry in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (2025) Nissi, Linda; Huusko, Teemu; Routila, Johannes; Vaittinen, Samuli; Leivo, Ilmo; Irjala, Heikki; Ventela, Sami
- Diverse oncogenes use common mechanisms to drive growth of major forms of human cancer (2025) Kauko, Otto; Turunen, Mikko; Pihlajamaa, Päivi; Häkkinen, Antti; Queiroz, Rayner M. L.; Pääkkönen, Mirva; Ventelä, Sami; Gaetani, Massimiliano; Lundström, Susanna L.; Murgia, Antonio; Sahu, Biswajyoti; Routila, Johannes; Wei, Gong-Hong; Irjala, Heikki; Griffin, Julian L.; Lilley, Kathryn S.; Kivioja, Teemu; Hautaniemi, Sampsa; Taipale, Jussi
- Evaluation of Integrin Glycovariants as Biomarkers of Metastasis, Invasion, and Therapy Stratification in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (2025) Routila, Erica; Salminen, Sadie; Mahran, Randa; Toriseva, Mervi; Irjala, Heikki; Haapio, Eeva; Kytö, Eero; Ventelä, Sami; Pettersson, Kim; Routila, Johannes; Gidwani, Kamlesh; Leivo, Janne
- Kuulo-ongelmista kärsivät kaikenikäiset (2025) Irjala, Heikki; Willberg, Tytti
- LIMA1-alpha staining predicts curative intent surgery response in HPV negative head and neck cancer (2025) Qiao, Xi; Routila, Johannes; Tienhaara, Mari; Irjala, Heikki; Santhi, Priyadharshini Parimelazhagan; Huusko, Teemu; Nissi, Linda; Paatero, Ilkka; Lehtinen, Noora; Rantala, Juha; Viljanen, Toni; Leivo, Ilmo; Koivunen, Petri; Jouppila-Matto, Anna; Taulu, Rami; Back, Leif; Wilkman, Tommy; Haapio, Eeva; Kinnunen, Ilpo; Kurppa, Kari; Westermarck, Jukka; Ventelä, Sami
- MRI-based risk factors for intensive care unit admissions in acute neck infections (2025)
- European Journal of Radiology Open
Vierula, Jari-Pekka; Merisaari, Harri; Heikkinen, Jaakko; Happonen, Tatu; Siren, Aapo; Velhonoja, Jarno; Irjala, Heikki; Soukka, Tero; Mattila, Kimmo; Nyman, Mikko; Nurminen, Janne; Hirvonen, Jussi
- Risk factors and preventive measures for severe orofacial and neck infections: a three-year observational study (2025) Velhonoja, Jarno; Lääveri, Meira; Soukka, Tero; Haatainen, Saara; Al-Neshawy, Noora; Kinnunen, Ilpo; Irjala, Heikki
- Validation of the Finnish MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) in patients with head and neck cancer (2025) Ranta, Pihla; Kinnunen, Ilpo; Irjala, Heikki
- Assessment of targeted therapy opportunities in sinonasal cancers using patient-derived functional tumor models (2024) Lehtinen Noora, Suhonen Janne, Rice Kiesha, Välimäki Eetu, Toriseva Mervi, Routila Johannes, Halme Perttu, Rahi Melissa, Irjala Heikki, Leivo Ilmo, Kallajoki Markku, Nees Matthias, Kuopio Teijo, Ventelä Sami, Rantala Juha K.
- Identification of stemness-related glycosylation changes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (2024) Routila, Erica; Mahran, Randa; Salminen, Seppo; Irjala, Heikki; Haapio, Eeva; Kytö, Eero; Ventelä, Sami; Petterson, Kim; Routila, Johannes; Gidwani, Kamlesh; Leivo, Janne
- Odontogenic neck abscesses caused by Streptococcus anginosus group bacteria: emergency MRI findings (2024)
- Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
Lääveri, Meira; Heikkinen, Jaakko; Happonen, Tatu; Sirén, Aapo; Nurminen, Janne; Vierula, Jari-Pekka; Velhonoja, Jarno; Irjala, Heikki; Soukka, Tero; Mattila, Kimmo; Gunell, Marianne; Snäll Johanna; Hirvonen, Jussi
- Programmed death-ligand 1 and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) - low TIL density may predict poorer long-term prognosis in T1 laryngeal cancer (2024) Pakkanen Pihla, Ilmarinen Taru, Halme Elina, Irjala Heikki, Koivunen Petri, Pukkila Matti, Ventelä Sami, Almangush Alhadi, Birkman Eva-Maria, Lindgren Outi, Pohjolainen Virva, Sjöblom Nelli, Haglund Caj, Hagström Jaana, Aaltonen Leena-Maija
- Psychosocial factors and patient and healthcare delays in large (class T3-T4) oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal carcinomas (2024) Atula, Markus; Atula, Timo; Aro, Katri; Irjala, Heikki; Halme, Elina; Jouppila-Mättö, Anna; Koivunen, Petri; Wilkman, Tommy; Mäkitie, Antti; Elovainio, Marko; Pulkki-Råback, Laura
- Simultaneous p53 and p16 Immunostaining for Molecular Subclassification of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas (2024) Pakkanen, Pihla; Silvoniemi, Antti; Aro, Katri; Bäck, Leif; Irjala, Heikki; Aaltonen, Leena-Maija; Hagström, Jaana; Haglund, Caj; Laine, Jukka; Minn, Heikki; Huvila, Jutta
- xCT as a Predictor for Survival in a Population‐Based Cohort of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (2024) Nissi, Linda; Tuominen, Sanni; Routila, Johannes; Huusko, Teemu; Ketonen, Petra; Sundvall, Maria; Leivo, Ilmo; Irjala, Heikki; Minn, Heikki; Grönroos, Tove J.; Ventelä, Sami
- Circulating Tumor DNA in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Association with Metabolic Tumor Burden Determined with FDG-PET/CT (2023) Silvoniemi A, Laine J, Aro K, Nissi L, Back L, Schildt J, Hirvonen J, Hagström J, Irjala H, Aaltonen LM, Seppänen M, Minn H
