Major funding to Renata Prunskaite-Hyyryläinen for fertility research

The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation has awarded a total of 7.1 million euros to ten projects in medicine and the arts. One of the early-career research group leaders to receive funding is Renata Prunskaite-Hyyryläinen, Associate Professor at the University of Oulu’s Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. Her project will establish Finland’s first large-scale research group focused on male fertility.

The project is unique, and the funding announced today, 1 October 2026, on European Day of Foundations and Donors, is substantial.

By studying the participants’ genetic data, the researchers aim to identify new causes of male infertility. The findings may enable more accurate diagnoses of infertility and help avoid unnecessary and burdensome treatments. The research may also yield new knowledge relevant to identifying other diseases and developing new methods of contraception.

Renata Prunskaite-Hyyryläinen has a long-standing interest and expertise in reproductive biology, encompassing early sex determination, germ cell development and the genetic causes of infertility. Her research aims to generate new knowledge and deepen current understanding of both fundamental and emerging processes in reproductive biology.

Would you like to learn more about the other projects? Find out more here: Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation Awards over € 7 Million to Medicine and the Arts on European Day of Foundations - Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation