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Maarit Korpi-Lagg: I have so few female colleagues that sometimes it’s difficult to maintain self-esteem

In this video, Professor of Astroinformatics Maarit Korpi-Lagg shares her childhood dream and how it feels to work in the midst of the many male researchers and professors.
Maarit Korpi-Lagg, photo by by Matti Ahlgren
‘My biggest dream since I was a child was to understand astronomical objects. Then, I have focused most of my career in understanding the sun,' says Maarit Korpi-Lagg. Photo: Matti Ahlgren.

'It’s of course a daunting task for a female professor to do something as great as these recognised professors. Sometimes it’s difficult to maintain self-esteem in a situation where there are so few female colleagues. Both in physics and computer science there are very few female researchers and professors. Last year we had a celebration because the first female student passed my course. It was a big thing for me,' says Professor Maarit Korpi-Lagg.

The video has been produced by the European Commission and it has been directed by Kasia and Dawid Kissinger.

Maarit Korpi-Lagg turned her childhood hobbies into a living

As a child, Maarit Korpi-Lagg was interested in the stars and coding, and now she researches the activity of the sun, which could not be done without computer science

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Nainen seisoo ja katsoo sivulle hymyillen kädet puuskassa. Hänellä on päällään musta paita ja sininen huivi ja aurinko värjää taustaa vaaleaksi.

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Minna Halme, photo by Hayley Le

Minna Halme: At first, sustainability wasn’t taken seriously

'I was told to do a doctoral thesis on a different topic if I want a job in the future.'

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Saban Ramadani: Is it radical to create a rocket in a week?

‘When you are expected to come up with something quickly, for instance, in visual arts, is the purpose itself lost in the creative process? Is it radical to create a rocket in a week?’

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Walk in my shoes

Inspired by the saying that you should walk a mile in someone’s shoes to understand them, the ‘Walk in my shoes’ series aims to share some of the experiences, thoughts, perspectives and challenges faced by members of the Aalto community.

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Walk in my shoes, illustration by Anna Muchenikova.
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Labratoriossa tutkija mittasi henkilön verenpainetta.
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New funding introduces health technology themes into FITech Network University's course offering

FITech Network University, a network of Finnish universities of technology coordinated by Aalto University, has been granted new funding that expands the network's course offering with themes related to health technology.
An eye by Matti Ahlgren.
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New macular degeneration treatment the first to halt disease’s progression

Aalto University researchers have uncovered a promising way to treat the dry form of the age- related macular degeneration (AMD) in the early diagnosis phase that could potentially stop its progression. The novel treatment approach aims to strengthen the protective mechanisms of affected cells using heat, explains Professor Ari Koskelainen.
Alumni Weekend 2025. Photo: Kristian Presnal
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Left: Daniela da Silva Fernandes, right: Robin Welsch.
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AI use makes us overestimate our cognitive performance

New research warns we shouldn’t blindly trust Large Language Models with logical reasoning –– stopping at one prompt limits ChatGPT’s usefulness more than users realise.