Dr. TIINA VAITTINEN
is Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Fellow in Tampere University, for whom mapping the global political economy of the pads has been a dream project for a long time.
She holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies. She is specialised in mapping complex global political economies of care, from the micro-level of everyday life to the macro-level of international and transnational politics. Identifying herself as a social scientist, broadly speaking, Tiina likes to study phenomena of the world across disciplinary boundaries. She loves to learn the ways to translate between different professional jargons, and find common ground for conversation. She’s a bit lazy at updating her personal websites, LinkedIns and CVs and such. You can, however, read about Tiina’s past doings here. Sometimes, the list is up-to-date.
Dr. EVELIINA ASIKAINEN
is a Senior Lecturer in the Tampere University of Applied Sciences. She works in the project from September 2020 to May 2021, as a co-investigator in the work package that focuses on the pad as waste, and the possibilities of future circular economy. Also Eveliina’s contribution to the project is made possible by the Kone Foundation grant.
Dr. CHRISTOPHER CHATTERTON
is Postdoctoral Researcher. Based in the UK, he worked in the Kone Foundation funded project from November 2019 until November 2020, looking at experiences of living with incontinence. He still joins the project activities and consults us where need be.
TUULIA LAHTINEN (RN)
works in the project as research assistant. She is an MA student in Health Sciences in Tampere University. She is Registered Nurse and Public Health Nurse by training, and has professional experience in public services resposible for the provision of continence products and other medical supplies. In the project, Tuulia assists the team in data collection, and she is also preparing her MA thesis in collaboration with the project.
DR ANNA I. RAJALA
Dr Anna Rajala works as a Researcher in the Academy of Finland funded project Assembling Postcapitalist International Political Economy (PI Dr Anni Kangas) based at Tampere University, and collaborates with the Pad Project on joint articles and papers.
Anna is a physiotherapist by training, and holds a master’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics of Health (UCL, 2013) and a PhD in Humanities (University of Brighton, 2021). Her PhD thesis is a philosophical criticism of physiotherapy ethics through the work of the German critical theorist Theodor W. Adorno. Her current research explores physiotherapy discourses on dementia, economy, and politics, and the ‘affective politics of statistics’ in dementia research. Her interest in pads and (in)continence stems both from her clinical experience and research interests, which include philosophy, politics and ethics of health and illness, medical humanities, continental philosophy, and political economy.
DR MINNA TÖRNÄVÄ
Minna Törnävä, doctor of Health Sciences, is a specialist in sexological counselling and a pelvic floor physiotherapist. She collaborates with the Pad Project as a co-author of articles. Minna is a clinical expert of incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders, and is interested in the prevention and early intervention of these conditions. In addition to the Pad project, she works on various research projects on sexual and reproductive health.