I work as Senior Lecturer in Study of Religion at the University of Turku. I graduated from Philosophy in 1985, and did my PhD in Study of Religion in 1989, on the topic of folk religion, illness classification and witchcraft in Peruvian Amazon. I started as Senior Lecturer in 1991, but have also worked in various posts, for example, in Methodology of Social Sciences (Department of Philosophy) and Futures Research (Finland Futures Research Centre). Besides teaching and research, I enjoy walking in the woods, gardening and kayaking.

My key expertise is the study of cultural models. I have studied models of illness and witchcraft in the Peruvian Amazon, models of environmental risks and uncertainty, as well as models of ecosystem services in Finland. Recently I have investigated models operative in integral thinking, systems thinking and spirituality. I have also had long-term interest in the role of intentional systems theory (theory of mind) in religious studies, especially ethnography. Currently I am investigating Ken Wilber's integral theory as an example of a model that combines tools of thought from East and West. In addition I am studying nature-based wisdom and spirituality as cultural ecosystem services, and cultural models of time.

I teach the course Introduction to the Study of Cultures, course Values and Ethics, and I am responsible for the BA seminar in Study of Cultures.