Dr Sini Heinonen
Role: MD, PhD, Adjunct Professor in Experimental Internal Medicine, Principal investigator and Specializing Doctor in Internal Medicine
Institute: Obesity Research Unit, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Research & Interests: Sini Heinonen is an Adjunct Professor in Experimental Internal Medicine, an MD, PhD, Resident in Internal Medicine, and a physician in international pharmacologic trials for obesity medications at the Obesity Research Unit, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Finland.
Her work has shed light on mitochondrial metabolism in adipose tissue in obesity-related conditions and led to insights into the role of bariatric surgery in restoring metabolic function. This research has earned her the European Association for the Study on Obesity (EASO) Young Investigator Award in Basic Sciences in 2016, the EASO-Novo Nordisk Foundation Award for Clinical Research in 2023 and the Rising Star Award of the European Association for the Study on Diabetes (EASD) in 2024.
Sini Heinonen's current research focuses on unraveling the beneficial mechanisms of bariatric surgery, particularly its impact on metabolites, gut hormones and bile acids, to boost adipose and peripheral tissue mitochondrial energy metabolism. Her work combines wet lab techniques in tissues and human primary cell cultures with large-scale omics data, and aims to pave the way for new, targeted obesity treatments and sustainable weight loss strategies.