Jenni Huhtasalo
Biography
Dr. Jenni Huhtasalo is a Senior Researcher at the Satakunta University of Applied Sciences. She holds a Doctorate in Social Sciences (Sociology), and her work focuses on the intersection of technology, care, and society through the lenses of expertise, digitalization, and actor-network theory. She is the project manager of Mathifyme- project in Finland.
With a background as a psychiatric nurse and over a decade of teaching in the social and healthcare sector, Jenni combines practical experience with academic insight. At SAMK, she contributes to research on welfare technology—particularly virtual reality and animal-assisted therapy, smart clothing and furniture, and technologies promoting mental well-being. She also teaches and collaborates closely with the Digital Culture research group at the University of Turku’s Pori Unit, linking health, culture, and technology.
Jenni brings a healthcare professional’s perspective to technology design, helping engineers and designers understand real-world needs in care environments. She is a member of many research groups, reflecting her commitment to human-centered, multidisciplinary innovation across health, technology, and society.

