M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor (Docent) Jetro Tuulari - UTU Research Portal

Jetro Tuulari
M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor (Docent)

- Doctoral Researcher,
Department of Computing (Faculty of Technology)
- Docent,
Department of Clinical Medicine (Faculty of Medicine)

Turku Collegium for science and medicine

jjtuul@utu.fi

ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1797-8000

Web page of me and our research group

FinnBrain Birth Cohort study

InterLearn Center of Excellence

Areas of expertise

Neuroscience, Brain development, Obesity, Pleasure in the brain, Eating, Exercise, Social touch, Neuroimaging, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, fMRI, dMRI), Positron emission tomography (PET). Connectomics, Whole brain modelling. Emerging expertise in population neuroscience.

Research community or research topic

We study how early life exposures, genes and environment shape the brain structure, brain function and how these relate to health and wellbeing.

Biography

After getting an M.D. degree in 2014, I defended my awarded PhD thesis on the brain changes of morbid obesity and weight loss surgery in 2015 and received Associate professorship (Title of Docent) in Cognitive Neuroscience in 2018. I am currently Principal Investigator of the FinnBrain Neuroimaging Lab and the work is related to solving the mysteries of the developing brain. I was the director of Turku Brain and Mind Center 2023 - 2025. As of May 2026 my research continues in the Auria Biobank, but I maintain close ties to UTU through FinnBrain and I take part as a senior consultant for InterLearn CoE, Right2Belong project, Turku Brain and Mind Center, and many other parties.

Research

Teaching

I am an enthusiastic techer and teaching development is close to my heard. I have taken part in multiple awarded pedagogical development projects relating to learning material development, student feedback, and peer-assisted learning. I have wide mentoring and tutoring expertise from undergraduate students to post doctoral fellows.

I have had seminal role in the launch of Human Neuroscience Master's Programme at the Turku Brain and Mind Center, and I served as the head of the programme 2023-2025.

Publications

5 of 13

Maternal psychological distress associates with alterations in resting-state low-frequency fluctuations and distal functional connectivity of the neonate medial prefrontal cortex (2023)
- European Journal of Neuroscience
Rajasilta Olli, Häkkinen Suvi, Björnsdotter Malin, Scheinin Noora M, Lehtola Satu J, Saunavaara Jani, Parkkola Riitta, Lähdesmäki Tuire, Karlsson Linnea, Karlsson Hasse, Tuulari Jetro J
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Prenatal and Postnatal Maternal Depressive Symptoms Are Associated With White Matter Integrity in 5-Year-Olds in a Sex-Specific Manner (2023)
- Biological Psychiatry
Kumpulainen Venla, Copeland Anni, Pulli Elmo P., Silver Eero, Kataja Eeva-Leena, Saukko Ekaterina, Merisaari Harri, Lewis John D., Karlsson Linnea, Karlsson Hasse, Tuulari Jetro J.
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Prenatal maternal depressive symptoms are associated with neonatal left amygdala microstructure in a sex-dependent way (2023)
- European Journal of Neuroscience
Hashempour N, Tuulari JJ, Merisaari H, Acosta H, Lewis JD, Pelto J, Scheinin NM, Fonov VS, Collins DL, Lehtola SJ, Saunavaara J, Lähdesmäki T, Parkkola R, Karlsson L, Karlsson H
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Relationships between alexithymia and food addiction: The Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale and preliminary test of its psychometric properties (2023)
- Frontiers in Psychology
Li Ru, Kajanoja Jani, Tuulari Jetro J, Karlsson Linnea, Karlsson Hasse, Karukivi Max
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Ruokariippuvuusoireiden esiintyvyys ja yhteydet psykiatrisiin oireisiin FinnBrain-syntymäkohortissa (2023)
- Duodecim
Lumia Iida, Tuulari Jetro J, Karlsson Linnea, Karlsson Hasse, Kajanoja Jani
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Sex differences, asymmetry, and age-related white matter development in infants and 5-year-olds as assessed with tract-based spatial statistics (2023)
- Human Brain Mapping
Kumpulainen Venla, Merisaari Harri, Silver Eero, Copeland Anni, Pulli Elmo P., Lewis John D., Saukko Ekaterina, Shulist Satu J., Saunavaara Jani, Parkkola Riitta, Lähdesmäki Tuire, Karlsson Linne, Karlsson Hasse, Tuulari Jetro J.
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Structural brain correlates of non-verbal cognitive ability in 5-year-old children: Findings from the FinnBrain birth cohort study (2023)
- Human Brain Mapping
Pulli Elmo P, Nolvi Saara, Eskola Eeva, Nordenswan Elisabeth, Holmberg Eeva, Copeland Anni, Kumpulainen Venla, Silver Eero, Merisaari Harri, Saunavaara Jani, Parkkola Riitta, Lähdesmäki Tuire, Saukko Ekaterina, Kataja Eeva-Leena, Korja Riikka, Karlsson Linnea, Karlsson Hasse, Tuulari Jetro J
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Aerobic Fitness is Associated with Cerebral mu-Opioid Receptor Activation in Healthy Humans (2022)
- Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Saanijoki Tiina, Kantonen Tatu, Pekkarinen Laura, Kalliokoski Kari, Hirvonen Jussi, Malén Tuulia, Tuominen Lauri, Tuulari Jetro J, Arponen Eveliina, Nuutila Pirjo, Nummenmaa Lauri
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Age and sex differences in the cortisol stress reactivity and recovery among infants exposed to prenatal psychological distress (2022)
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
Kortesluoma Susanna, Korhonen Laura S, Pelto Juho, Tuulari Jetro J, Karlsson Linnea, Karlsson Hasse
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Allometry in the corpus callosum in neonates: Sexual dimorphism (2022)
- Human Brain Mapping
Lewis John D, Acosta Henriette, Tuulari Jetro J, Fonov Vladimir S, Collins Louis D, Scheinin Noora M, Lehtola Satu J, Rosberg Aylin, Lidauer Kristian, Ukharova Elena, Saunavaara Jani, Parkkola Riitta, Lahdesmaki Tuire, Karlsson Linnea, Karlsson Hasse
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)