Aiming for Better Diagnosis and Treatment of Central Nervous System Diseases
The Orion Research Foundation awarded a €50,000 grant to Doctor of Pharmacy Nea Korvenlaita for the year 2025. Korvenlaita is conducting research on extracellular vesicles and their potential in the diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system diseases at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA.
Extracellular Vesicles
Nea Korvenlaita, who earned her PhD in Pharmacy from the University of Eastern Finland in 2021, began studying extracellular vesicles already during her master’s studies. These vesicles are tiny, membrane-bound bubbles secreted by all cells and can act as messengers between them. Korvenlaita focuses on the role and function of vesicles in the pathology of CNS diseases such as stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.
She emphasizes that the field of extracellular vesicle research is still relatively new, with vast potential. Vesicles can carry proteins and other molecules from their parent cells and communicate with other cells in the body. This makes them particularly interesting as potential diagnostic biomarkers that could reveal risks and progression of CNS diseases.
Grants Enabled Move to the U.S.
Grants from the Orion Research Foundation and the Osk. Huttunen Foundation enabled Korvenlaita and her family to move to the U.S. for the duration of her research. Her goal is to conduct research in the U.S. for at least a year, possibly longer.
One of the biggest challenges in her research is the tiny size of vesicles—less than 100 nanometers in diameter—which requires highly sensitive methods for measurement. At Johns Hopkins, she has access to cutting-edge technology, such as Nano Flow analyzers developed from flow cytometry and super-resolution microscope. These tools allow her to examine the size and quantity of individual vesicles and analyze the proteins they contain.
According to Korvenlaita, funding cuts are also visible at Johns Hopkins. In today’s global situation, having independent research funding is especially important. A personal grant gives her the confidence that she can continue her research in the U.S. She stresses the importance of Finnish research grants, as they enable international visits and the return of expertise to Finland. In addition to access to equipment not available in Finland, international research also helps build crucial social networks. “No one does top-level research alone – not even at Johns Hopkins,” Korvenlaita reminds us.
The Path to Research Began in Middle School
Korvenlaita never intended to become a researcher: “I never thought, even when I started studying pharmacy, that a research career was an option.” In hindsight, she believes the suitability for the field could have been noticed already in middle school. However, she had no researchers in her close circle to serve as role models.
“The most significant reason I ended up on the research path was my middle school chemistry teacher,” she recalls. The teacher taught chemistry through exploration: experiments were planned and conducted, followed by discussions on why things happened. Korvenlaita later realized that this is exactly what researchers do.
She feels she has received encouragement and support from her teachers throughout her career, helping her believe in her abilities and potential as a researcher. Recently, she contacted her former chemistry teacher to thank them. “I wanted to tell my teacher how far I’ve come and that much of it is thanks to them.” The retired teacher was deeply touched by the message.
From Vocational School to University
After middle school, Korvenlaita didn’t go to high school but chose vocational school to study a field she was interested in: laboratory studies. She enjoyed the studies, and the lab technician school paved the way toward pharmacy. An internship in the immunopharmacology research group at the University of Tampere sparked her interest in drug-related chemistry.
However, she hesitated about applying to university with a vocational background and whether she could succeed in pharmacy studies. Fortunately, her vocational school teachers were supportive, and she applied. “I remember one teacher always saying, ‘Those who are capable will always succeed,’” she recalls. During her master’s studies, she was the only one without a high school background. “I want to highlight that there are many different career paths, which is why I share my own background,” she explains.
Captivated by Vesicles
Korvenlaita initially moved to Kuopio thinking it would be temporary, but ended up staying nearly 10 years. While searching for a thesis topic, she came across vesicles and soon found herself promising to write a dissertation on the same subject. She became completely fascinated by vesicles.
She explains that neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s are a growing problem in aging populations. Current diagnostic methods, such as neuroimaging and brain biopsies, are often invasive and burdensome. Her research aims to develop methods to identify biomarkers within extracellular vesicles from blood samples, which could predict disease risks and enable early diagnosis and treatment.
“Diagnostic biomarkers could potentially detect disease risk earlier. This could improve the effectiveness of current treatments if therapy could begin before a large portion of brain neurons are permanently damaged,” Korvenlaita explains.
A Message to Young Researchers
Korvenlaita encourages young researchers to network and seize opportunities to learn and grow. There are many paths to a research career, so it’s important to believe in your own potential.
“You don’t have to be a social extrovert to network. It’s enough to be brave, take initiative, and be interested in others’ expertise. Also, whenever possible, go on even short visits to new places to learn – those experiences always lead to new contacts,” she advises.
Looking Ahead
What does Korvenlaita expect from her future? She plans to return to Finland and bring new expertise with her. She definitely intends to continue her research career, though time will tell where and how. One of her future dreams is to establish her own research group. The Orion Research Foundation wishes Nea Korvenlaita success in her current research and future aspirations!
The Orion Research Foundation annually awards approximately €1.1 million in grants to young researchers. For 2025, the foundation awarded a total of 112 grants, including 19 major postdoctoral research grants and 93 smaller grants for doctoral dissertations.
This English version was translated with the help of AI and reviewed by the author.