Forensic medicine group

Research group information

Unit and faculty

Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine
Faculty of Medicine

Contact information

Research group leader

  • Forensic pathologist
    Lasse Pakanen

Research group description

By definition of Finnish law, a medicolegal autopsy has to be carried out when the death is caused by non-natural conditions such as accident, suicide or homicide, or when the death is unexpected. Hence, the autopsy-rate in Finland is one of the highest in the world. This background provides excellent opportunities for research in a wide array, and the work based on our autopsy data is recognized internationally.

Our team

Docent Katja Porvari, Ph.D., laboratory manager (Hypothermia group)

Where are we headed

With our research, we aim to find means of predicting and preventing deaths from unexpected and non-natural causes, as well as to develop cause-of-death investigation. We will also continue to find new ways of utilizing postmortem data for the benefit of the living.

Our main collaborators

  • Forensic Medicine Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Oulu, Finland
  • Cardiology Research Group (Prof Juhani Junttila)
  • Molecular Cardiology Group (Prof Risto Kerkelä)

How to find us

lasse.pakanen[at]oulu.fi