Samuli RautavaDr. Samuli Rautava received his MD and PhD in pediatrics from the University of Turku, Finland. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hspital for Children, Dr. Rautava continued his clinical training at the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, earning specialist degrees in pediatrics and neonatology. He then completed a fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, where he was presented with the Sick Kids Fellow of the Year Award. Currently, Dr. Rautava works as the Head of Neonatology at Helsinki University Hospital and Assistant Professor of Neonatology at the University of Helsinki in Finlandas well as Adjunct Professor of Experimental Pediatrics at the University of Turku.
Dr. Rautava’s research efforts focus on the short- and long-term health effects of early microbial contact and the transfer of bacteria from the mother to the infant during fetal life, delivery, and early infancy. Specific areas of interest include the causes of spontaneous preterm birth and the impact of early antibiotic use on infant gut microbiota development and later health. Dr. Rautava conducts clinical trials using probiotics in pregnant and breastfeeding women and preterm infants, complemented with experimental studies in close collaboration with experts in microbiology, immunology, and epigenetics. Read More Read Less