minerva foundation institute for medical research minerva foundation institute for medical research minerva foundation institute for medical research is a private research institute, funded and maintained by the minerva foundation. the minerva foundation was founded in 1959. the research institute is located in meilahti at biomedicum helsinki finland, in a large conglomerate of modern laboratories with research groups in the biomedical and medical research fields. the institute features seven research groups with about 40 employees. research groups cardiovascular disease in the young research group, principal investigator: adjunct professor taisto sarkola cellular neuroscience research group, principal investigator: adjunct professor pirta hotulainen cardiovascular research group, principal investigator: adjunct professor päivi lakkisto endocrinology research group, principal investigator: professor hannele yki-järvinen metabolism research group, principal investigator: adjunct professor heikki koistinen lipid signaling and homeostasis research group, principal investigator (and director of the institute): professor vesa olkkonen membrane biology research group, principal investigator: professor elina ikonen associated group: neuronal signaling research group, principal investigator: professor dan lindholm