Professor Johanna Laukkarinen works as the Professor of surgery in Tampere University, and as the Head of the Department of gastroenterology and alimentary tract surgery in Tampere University Hospital, Finland. Her main interests include pancreatic surgery, pancreatic cancer, pancreatic cystic tumors, acute pancreatitis, biodegradable stents and long-term pancreatic cell culture models. Professor Laukkarinen is the leader of Tampere pancreas research group, involving several PhD students and post doc researchers. Earlier in her career, she has also worked in Boston and in Singapore. Professor Laukkarinen received the United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Rising Star award in 2013, the membership of European Surgical Association (ESA) in 2016 and the membership of International Surgical Group (ISG) in 2021.