Born in Helsinki, Finland, 5 February 1962.
Married since 1990, three children (born 1992, 1993, 1997).
Finnish citizen.
Language knowledge: Finnish (native), English, German, Hungarian, Estonian, Swedish (good), Russian (passive), French (basics), theoretical knowledge of various other Finno-Ugric languages.
Education
Studies of Finno-Ugric languages, Finnic languages and general linguistics at the University of Helsinki from 1979 to 1985.
Study sojourns in Budapest (ELTE University) in 1984-85 and Tallinn (Pedagogical University) in 1986.
M. A. (= cand. phil.) at the University of Helsinki 1985.
Lic. phil. at the University of Helsinki 1988.
PhD at the University of Helsinki 1990. (PhD thesis Translatiivinen verbinjohdin NE itämerensuomalaisissa kielissä [= The translative verbal derivation suffix NE in the Finnic languages] published in the series “Mémoires de la Société Finno-Ougrienne” 1990.)
Docent (corresponds roughly to the “Habilitation”/venia legendi in the German-speaking world) of Finno-Ugric languages at the University of Helsinki since 1997.
Work career (relevant employment)
Research assistant (tutkimusavustaja, apulaistutkija) at the Research Centre for the Languages of Finland 1986–1987.
Assistant (assistentti) at the University of Helsinki from 1987 to 2000, excluding the following periods:
- maternity leaves 1992, 1993, 1997
- Acting professor of Finnic languages at the University of Helsinki 1989–1990
- Acting professor of Finno-Ugric languages at the University of Helsinki 1991
- project researcher 1999–2000.
Professor of Finno-Ugric studies at the University of Vienna since October 2000.