Ethical review of medical research

The research ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine is one of three research ethics committees at the University of Helsinki.

The research ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine issues statements on proposals for investigator-driven medical research at the Faculty, where necessary.

The committee does not consider research proposals that require a statutory statement from the hospital district ethics committee or the National Committee on Medical Research Ethics. Statements on such studies are requested from the hospital district ethics committee of the district where the research is to be conducted or where the principal investigator works.

One local ethics committee operate in the special responsibility area of the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS).

A positive statement from a research ethics committee is a prerequisite for medical research, and research may not be commenced without it.

• Chair: Professor Antti Sajantila
• University Lecturer Aura Heimonen
• Clinical Instructor Mika Laitinen
• Professor Samuli Ripatti
• Professor Ossi Rahkonen
• Clinical Instructor Petteri Arstila
• University Researcher Paula Virtala
• Vice chair: University Instructor Aleksi Pajunen
• PhD Jukka Reivinen, lay member
• Doctoral Researcher Anne-Marie Vartti (deputy member: Niklas Mäkelä)

Secretary: Mila Hyytinen, Research Services

Data protection specialist, University Services

The person responsible for the research may request a statement from the research ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine.

Enclosures required in the request for a statement:

• a research proposal of no more than six pages
• a statement on the reasons for the need for an ethical review
• researcher’s own assessment of the ethics of the research
• information intended to be given to research participants
• consent form
• other material to be given to participants, e.g., interview outline, logs, questionnaires.
• doctoral researchers, master level students and students doing advanced studies should provide supervisor's supporting statement for the request for a statement in case of their study will be published
• data management plan
• data protection statement for scientific research if research entails the processing of personal data. More information on data protection in Flamma.

Meeting schedule

The Ethical Review Board meetings scheduled for spring term 2024 are as follows:

• 30 January
• 27 February
• 19 March
• 30 April
• 28 May
• 18 June

Summer break in July.

Requests for statements that applicants wish to submit for processing by the Ethical Review Board meetings are asked to be send as one PDF document by using an eform no later than two weeks before the meeting in question. Late requests will be processed at the next meeting.

If the Ethical Review Board finds that the study meets the ethical requirements, its statement will be emailed to the applicant within two weeks of the meeting where the request was discussed.

Please send your request for a statement as one PDF document.

Send your request using an eform.