Description of research and teaching

My research covers many aspects of spatial research, biogeography and macroecology with a special interest in freshwater ecosystems. I am especially interested in causes and consequences of biodiversity gradients and large-scale ecology of unicellular organisms.

Homepage: http://blogs.helsinki.fi/jhsoinin/ 

Curriculum vitae

Personal details and date of CV

• Surname: Soininen
• First names: Janne Henrik
• ORCID iD:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8583-3137
• Date of CV: 1st September 2021

Degrees

• 2007 Adjunct Professor (Docent) in Aquatic Sciences, University of Helsinki
• 2004 Doctor of Philosophy in Aquatic Sciences, University of Helsinki                 
• 1998 Master of Science in Limnology, University of Helsinki

Current employment

• 2018 onwards: Professor of Spatial Environmental Research, University of Helsinki

Previous work experience

• 2015-2018 Associate Professor, University of Helsinki
• 2012-2015 Assistant Professor, University of Helsinki
• 2010-2012 Academy Research Fellow, funded by Academy of Finland
• 2009-2010 Principal Investigator, University of Helsinki
• 2006 Postdoctoral researcher (visiting), University of Cologne (supervisor Helmut Hillebrand)
• 2005-2008 Postdoctoral researcher, funded by Academy of Finland
• 2003 Lecturer, University of Helsinki

Major research funding and grants

• 2017-2022 Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (co-PI) 710 000€
• 2014-2016 Emil Aaltonen Foundation 210 000€
• 2013-2015 Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation 95 000€
• 2013-2016 Academy of Finland 298 019€ (Project funding with Brazilian FAPESP)
• 2012-2014 Academy of Finland 169 000€ (Project funding from FICCA climate change program)
• 2010-2012 Academy of Finland 391 510€ (Funding for Academy Research Fellow)
• 2010-2011 Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation 25 000€
• 2008-2011 Academy of Finland 182 650€ (Academy project funding)
• 2007-2009 University of Helsinki 92 000€
• 2005-2007 Academy of Finland 156 000€ (Postdoctoral research funding)

Research output

I have published 155 peer reviewed articles since 2002, printed in major aquatic (e.g. Limnology & Oceanography), ecological (e.g. Ecology, Global Ecology and Biogeography, Ecography), microbiological (e.g. Microbiome, ISME Journal, Environmental Microbiology), environmental (e.g. Environmental Reviews, Science of the Total Environment) and general scientific journals (e.g. Nature Communications). I am the first author in 40 articles. Five papers are currently highly cited articles according to Web of Science. My main research themes include aquatic ecology, biogeography, and macroecology and I am especially interested in large-scale biodiversity patterns in freshwaters. My main model taxa for testing ecological principles include diatoms, phytoplankton and bacteria. I also conduct meta-analyses to test broad questions in ecology such as how beta diversity varies geographically and between different ecosystems and taxa. These papers have been highly influential and increased our understanding of intrinsic (i.e. organism related) and extrinsic (i.e. ecosystem related) drivers of broad-scale biodiversity patterns.

Research supervision and leadership experience

I established Aquatic Community Ecology Group in 2008 in University of Helsinki. I have supervised eight PhD theses about freshwater biodiversity and I am currently supervising three PhD students. I have mentored five postdoctoral researchers and I have been a member of a thesis committee for nine PhD students. I have supervised 25 MSc theses. I am currently a chair of Research Programme in Biogeosciences in University of Helsinki, which comprises over 60 researchers including seven professors.

Teaching merits (University of Helsinki)

• 2020 Subarctic Aquatic Research (teacher)
• 2019 LUOVA Doctoral Programme Writing Retreat (teacher)
• 2018 onwards Advanced Diatom Research (course leader)
• 2013 Arctic-Alpine Environment (teacher)
• 2012 onwards BSc Seminar in Geography (course leader)
• 2012 onwards Spatial Aquatic Research (course leader)
• 2012 onwards Biogeography and Macroecology (course leader)
• 2012 onwards Research Seminar in Geography (teacher)
• Pre 2012 nine academic courses related to aquatic sciences (e.g. algal species identification, field and laboratory methods and scientific writing)

Awards and honours

• 2018 Geography Award (University of Helsinki)

Other key academic merits

• 2018 onwards Vice-director of LUOVA doctoral programme (University of Helsinki)
• 2018 onwards Board member of GEODOC doctoral programme (UH)
• 2018 onwards Chair of Biogeoscience research programme (UH)
• 2010 onwards Associate editor for Global Ecology and Biogeography
• 2006-2016 Associate editor for Journal of Applied Phycology
• 2004 onwards Reviewer for more than 60 academic journals
• 2010 onwards Reviewer for 12 funding agencies including ERC Starting Grants
• 2009 onwards Reviewer for six PhD theses, three adjunct professorships and one professorship
• 2014 onwards Board member: Department council and Department management board (UH)
• 2018 onwards Vice-member of University Collegium (UH)
• 2016-2020 Finnish representative in SMIRES EU-COST project

Scientific and societal impact

My publications have received 9500 citations with h-index 54 (Google Scholar) including five highly-cited articles in Web of Science. I have given talks in more than 25 scientific conferences with 18 invited keynote talks including general meeting of American Society of Microbiology (2014) and International Society of Limnology (2018). In addition to basic research, my research has been useful when implementing EU level stream biomonitoring approaches in Finland and also more broadly in Europe. The importance of such integrative biomonitoring methods will rapidly increase in the future.