Professor, Head of Paavo Nurmi Centre Katja Pahkala - UTU Research Portal

Katja Pahkala
Professor, Head of Paavo Nurmi Centre

- Professor,
Cardiovascular Medicine (CAPC) (Centre for Population Health Research (POP Centre))

Centre for Population Health Research, Paavo Nurmi Centre

katpah@utu.fi

+358 40 578 6122

Kiinamyllynkatu 10

Turku

Cardiovascular health, prevention, childhood, physical activity, diet, epidemiology, longitudinal studies

I have devoted my research career to examining early life determinants of cardiometabolic health with the ultimate aim to improve primordial prevention of cardiometabolic diseases.

I am a long-standing senior researcher and the vice director of the Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine (CAPC), and a member of the executive committee of the Centre for Population Health Research. I am also the vice principal investigator of the globally unique atherosclerosis prevention trial, the STRIP study (Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project), which commenced in 1989 and has extensively studied the 1062 participants since age 7 months to 26 years with repeated assessment of diet, lifestyle and versatile cardiometabolic health markers. I am also an active member of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, started in the late 1970´s. The study involves originally 3596 participants from different parts of Finland. As highlights of my career, in 2014 I received the Academy of Finland’s Postdoctoral Researcher grant, and in 2019 I was invited to receive A/Professorship in Preventive Medicine (tenure track), and I was also awarded the Academy of Finland’s Research Fellowship. In 2023, I achieved full-Professorship in Preventive Medicine. In 2024, I began as a Head of the Paavo Nurmi Centre, a centre of expertise in sports & exercise medicine.

I have supervised 15 undergraduate studies and six doctoral studies. Currently I supervise six doctoral students and one undergraduate student.

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Trajectories of Physical Activity Predict the Onset of Depressive Symptoms but Not Their Progression: A Prospective Cohort Study (2016)
- Journal of Sports Medicine
Kaseva K, Rosenström T, Hintsa T, Pulkki-Råback L, Tammelin T, Lipsanen J, Yang X, Hintsanen M, Hakulinen C, Pahkala K, Hirvensalo M, Hutri-Kähönen N, Raitakari OT, Keltikangas-Järvinen L
TV viewing and subclinical cardiac diastolic dysfunction in early midlife. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. (2016) Helajärvi H, Ruohonen S, Pahkala K, Heinonen OJ, Viikari J, Raitakari OT
A novel common variant in DCST2 is associated with length in early life and height in adulthood (2015)
- Human Molecular Genetics
van der Valk RJP, Kreiner-Moller E, Kooijman MN, Guxens M, Stergiakouli E, Saaf A, Bradfield JP, Geller F, Hayes MG, Cousminer DL, Korner A, Thiering E, Curtin JA, Myhre R, Huikari V, Joro R, Kerkhof M, Warrington NM, Pitkanen N, Ntalla I, Horikoshi M, Veijola R, Freathy RM, Teo YY, Barton SJ, Evans DM, Kemp JP, St Pourcain B, Ring SM, Smith GD, Bergstrom A, Kull I, Hakonarson H, Mentch FD, Bisgaard H, Chawes B, Stokholm J, Waage J, Eriksen P, Sevelsted A, Melbye M, van Duijn CM, Medina-Gomez C, Hofman A, de Jongste JC, Taal HR, Uitterlinden AG, Armstrong LL, Eriksson J, Palotie A, Bustamante M, Estivill X, Gonzalez JR, Llop S, Kiess W, Mahajan A, Flexeder C, Tiesler CMT, Murray CS, Simpson A, Magnus P, Sengpiel V, Hartikainen AL, Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi S, Lewin A, Alves ADC, Blakemore AI, Buxton JL, Kaakinen M, Rodriguez A, Sebert S, Vaarasmaki M, Lakka T, Lindi V, Gehring U, Postma DS, Ang W, Newnham JP, Lyytikainen LP, Pahkala K, Raitakari OT, Panoutsopoulou K, Zeggini E, Boomsma DI, Groen-Blokhuis M, Ilonen J, Franke L, Hirschhorn JN, Pers TH, Liang L, Huang J, Hocher B, Knip M, Saw SM, Holloway JW, Melen E, Grant SFA, Feenstra B, Lowe WL, Widen E, Sergeyev E, Grallert H, Custovic A, Jacobsson B, Jarvelin MR, Atalay M, Koppelman GH, Pennell CE, Niinikoski H, Dedoussis GV, Mccarthy MI, Frayling TM, Sunyer J, Timpson NJ, Rivadeneira F, Bonnelykke K, Jaddoe VWV
Association of adiponectin with adolescent cardiovascular health in a dietary intervention study (2015)
- Journal of Pediatrics
Jaakkola J, Pahkala K, Viitala M, Rönnemaa T, Viikari J, Niinikoski H, Lagström H, Jula A, Simell O, Raitakari O.
Childhood 25-OH Vitamin D Levels and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Adulthood: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (2015)
- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Juonala M, Voipio A, Pahkala K, Viikari JSA, Mikkila V, Kahonen M, Hutri-Kahonen N, Jula A, Burgner D, Sabin MA, Marniemi J, Loo BM, Laitinen T, Jokinen E, Taittonen L, Magnussen CG, Raitakari OT
Cumulative Effect of Psychosocial Factors in Youth on Ideal Cardiovascular Health in Adulthood The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (2015)
- Circulation
Pulkki-Raback L, Elovainio M, Hakulinen C, Lipsanen J, Hintsanen M, Jokela M, Kubzansky LD, Hintsa T, Serlachius A, Laitinen T, Pahkala K, Mikkila V, Nevalainen J, Hutri-Kahonen N, Juonala M, Viikari J, Raitakari OT, Keltikangas-Jarvinen L
Determinants of serum 25(OH)D concentration in young and middle-aged adults. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (2015)
- Annals of Medicine
Atte J. W. Voipio, Katja A. Pahkala, Jorma S. A. Viikari, Vera Mikkilä, Costan G. Magnussen, Nina Hutri-Kähönen, Mika Kähönen, Terho Lehtimäki, Satu Männistö, Britt-Marie Loo, Antti Jula, Jukka Marniemi, Markus Juonala, Olli T. Raitakari
Distensibility of the Aorta and Carotid Artery and Left Ventricular Mass From Childhood to Early Adulthood. (2015)
- Hypertension
Hanna Mikola, Katja Pahkala, Tapani Rönnemaa, Jorma S.A. Viikari, Harri Niinikoski, Eero Jokinen, Pia Salo, Olli Simell, Markus Juonala, Olli T. Raitakari
High Lipoprotein(a) Concentrations Are Associated with Impaired Endothelial Function in Children (2015)
- Journal of Pediatrics
Lapinleimu J, Raitakari OT, Lapinleimu H, Pahkala K, Ronnemaa T, Simell OG, Viikari JSA
Lifetime measures of ideal cardiovascular health and their association with subclinical atherosclerosis: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (2015)
- International Journal of Cardiology
Laitinen TT, Pahkala K, Magnussen CG, Oikonen M, Viikari JSA, Sabin MA, Daniels SR, Heinonen OJ, Taittonen L, Hartiala O, Mikkila V, Hutri-Kahonen N, Laitinen T, Kahonen M, Raitakari OT, Juonala M