Tampere University secures funding to recruit a leading international expert in P4 medicine

The Research Council of Finland (RCF) has made funding decisions under the Profi 9 call, which aims to strengthen the research profiles of Finnish universities through the recruitment of high-calibre researchers. These decisions constitute the second instalment of a total allocation of €50 million reserved by the RCF for this purpose. The first round of funding decisions was announced in January 2026.

Tampere University secured €2.5 million in funding, enabling the recruitment of Dr Massimo Gadina, who has served as Chief of the Translational Immunology Section at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and as Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. He will assume a position as Professor of P4 Medicine and Translational Immunology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology (MET).

According to Dean of MET Seppo Parkkila, Dr Gadina’s appointment will reinforce Tampere University’s leading position in research on immune-related diseases. It will also enhance the University’s international competitiveness, expand collaboration with global partners, and create new opportunities for external research funding in precision medicine.

“Dr Gadina brings more than three decades of internationally recognised expertise in immunology, cytokine signalling, translational medicine and immune-mediated diseases to Tampere University. His expertise directly supports the key dimensions of P4 medicine: predictive, preventive, personalised and participatory.”

Massimo Gadina has developed, for example, molecular and cellular biomarkers to predict immune dysregulation, disease progression and treatment responses. His extensive work on JAK–STAT signalling, cytokine networks and immune disorders will strengthen Tampere University’s capacity to develop predictive multiomics profiles and disease models. In addition, his research on early immune abnormalities and inflammatory mechanisms will support the identification of high-risk patient groups and the design of preventive intervention strategies for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases.

“I believe Dr Gadina’s expertise will catalyse new research initiatives and significantly enhance the University’s competitiveness in P4 medicine. His appointment represents a major strategic advancement for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology and for Tampere University as a whole,” says Parkkila.

Further information is available in a media release on the RCF website