We Are Medbase

10.9.2026

For Jori Ruuskanen, working at Medbase is closely connected to the two other important parts of his professional life: clinical practice and research.

An MD-PhD, Associate Professor, neurologist and specialist in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, Jori is part of Medbase’s medical team. His working weeks look a little different from most: he divides his time between Medbase and Turku University Hospital (TYKS), spending every other week with each. It is a combination that suits him well – allowing him to stay close to patient care while bringing that clinical perspective into his work at Medbase.

A long history with Medbase

Jori’s connection with Medbase goes back almost to the beginning of the company’s nearly 20-year history.

He was closely involved in establishing Gravbase and Lactbase, Medbase’s databases on medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and continues to contribute to their development. He is also involved in evaluating evidence on medicines acting on the central nervous system for other databases within Medbase Knowledgebase.

A lot has changed at Medbase since those early days, but the fundamentals of the work are familiar: following new research, assessing evidence and making complex scientific information useful in clinical practice.

– There is always new evidence to evaluate, and sometimes it changes how clinicians think and prescribe. That is one of the things I enjoy about this work – you are never really finished learning.

For medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, the evidence is not always straightforward. Research may be limited, and individual studies rarely provide all the answers. Decisions therefore require both scientific expertise and clinical judgement – considering not only the potential risks of a medicine, but also the risks of leaving the mother’s condition untreated.

– You have to look at the whole clinical situation. The question is not only whether a medicine may carry a risk, but also why the treatment is needed and what could happen without it. Ultimately, it is about weighing benefits and risks for the individual patient.

“Clinical work keeps you close to the questions that healthcare professionals face every day. At Medbase, I can approach those same questions through the evidence and help make that knowledge useful in practice.”

Clinical practice brings another perspective

Jori’s clinical work as a neurologist gives him first-hand insight into the complexity of treatment decisions. His background in neurology keeps the individual patient at the centre, while clinical pharmacology brings understanding of medicines and the evidence behind their use.

– When you work with patients, you are constantly reminded that clinical decisions are rarely black and white. You have the evidence, but you also have the individual patient and their particular situation. Both have to be considered.

The connection works both ways. At Medbase, Jori closely follows scientific literature and developments in pharmacotherapy – knowledge that also supports his clinical work at the hospital.

Research meets practice through SPOCK

Alongside his clinical work, Jori is actively involved in research and clinical trials, with a particular focus on the pharmacoepidemiology of stroke, exploring medication use and outcomes in real-world patient populations.

His research and work at Medbase also come together in the European Stroke Pharmaco-Omics Consortium (SPOCK) trial, where Medbase is an industrial partner. The project explores how pharmacogenomics could support more personalised treatment for patients with ischaemic stroke and transient ischaemic attacks.

For Jori, the project brings together several areas that have shaped his career: neurology, clinical pharmacology, research and the practical application of medication knowledge.

– It is interesting to be involved in research where the aim is not only to generate new knowledge, but also to understand how that knowledge can eventually be brought into clinical practice and support treatment decisions.

Through SPOCK, Medbase is contributing its expertise in clinical decision support to help bring pharmacogenetic information closer to everyday patient care.

Staying active outside work

When he is not working, Jori enjoys an active lifestyle. Cycling is a particular favourite, but he also enjoys skiing, running, rock climbing and swimming.

And every now and then, Jori brings a little bit of home to Medbase too: his dog Fanni is an occasional – and always welcome – office companion.