@Kokotupa

More info:

I am sorry, after all these years, most material on my website are still in Finnish!

But I am planning to add here more stuff in English (e.g. my top 10 tips for visitors of Helsinki). So... please be patient and come back often!

Welcome to my website!

Hey there! I am Antti Knaapila, PhD, a food scientist working as a researcher and entrepreneur. My research interests are chemosensory perception, sensory analysis of foods, and eating behavior.

I have temporary job as a University Researcher at the Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki (in Viikki Campus, Helsinki, Finland). All other times, in theory, I work for my own company, Kokotupa Osaamispalvelut, that I founded in January 2020.

Therefore, I would like to note that this is my own home-made personal website. I have created elsewhere a separate website for my business, Kokotupa Osaamispalvelut.

My favorite dish is Finnish style pea soup and my favorite season is (early) fall. If I was an animal, I would be a raccoon. I am married and live in Sipoo, a municipality close to Helsinki.

I started as a University Researcher from the beginning of 2020. I am working on projects that study use of plant based proteins (such as protein concentrates from legumes and oat) as ingredients for novel foods. My role in these project is to conduct studies on sensory properties and consumer acceptance of the new products.

Before that, I worked as a University Lecturer at the same department, from September 2016 to December 2019. In summer 2017, I worked three months as a visiting researcher at Technical University of Dresden (TUD), Germany. There I worked at the Interdisciplinary Center for Smell and Taste with Prof. Thomas Hummel. My job as University Lecturer included mostly teaching of courses in sensory food science and supervising students with their bachelor's and master's theses.

Early career as a postdoc

My previous job (the one before I started in Helsinki in 2016) was Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Turku (Turku, Finland). The last three years there (9/2013 - 8/2016) I worked for my own research project titled Role of volatiles for hedonic value and consumption of legumes, herbs, and spices funded by the Academy of Finland (project number 267 698). Before that, I worked for a research project led by Prof. Mari Sandell (Functional Foods Forum, FFF) for two years.

Before I started working at University of Turku in September 2011, I worked as a Posdoctoral Fellow at Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (from January 2009 to June 2011). While at Monell, I studied genetics of human olfaction with Dr. Danielle Reed and Dr. Charles Wysocki.

In addition to olfaction (the sense of smell) and taste, my research interests included, as they still do, willingness to try new foods (food neophobia and neophilia), and sensory evaluation of foods. I would like to understand factors underlying food choices and eating behavior. With the help of this knowledge gained during the years, I currently aim to contribute to the development of novel healthy but tasty food products.

Results of the basic research on taste and smell may help product developers to design more healthy products that are not compromised for their sensory quality. (Photo: Brian Gantick)

Background & Education

I was born in 1977 in Porvoo, Finland. Porvoo is a beautiful little town of nearly 50 000 inhabitants and located about 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) east of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.

In fall 1997, I started to study Food Chemistry at the Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology (currently Department of Food and Nutrition), Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki. Yeah, it is already more than 20 years ago, I cannot believe it! :-)

I completed my MSc studies in Food Chemistry (focusing on biotechnology) in January 2004. Later in that month I started my PhD studies in the Department of Food Technology, University of Helsinki. My PhD work was a collaboration between the University and the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL; at that time the National Institute of Health, KTL). I was supervised by Prof. Hely Tuorila (University of Helsinki) and Prof. Markus Perola (THL).

I earned my doctoral degree (PhD in Food Sciences) in October 2008. My doctoral dissertation, titled Genetic and environmental influences on human responses to odors is freely available online via the E-thesis - electronic publications at the University of Helsinki.

My hobbies

In my freetime I like to walk, jog, and bike outdoors, have fresh air, and observe and admire the enormous beauty of nature. I like to take photos and design my own web pages.

Also, I'm interested in art history and like to visit art museums and concerts of classic music.

Food is another interest of mine. It's not that I would be good at cooking (unfortunately far from that), but I like to learn more about dishes, ingredients, and cuisines - and enjoy the food.

Thank you so much for visiting my website!

Feedback and other contacts are most welcome via email: