Katja Pahkala
Professor, Head of Paavo Nurmi 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.
- Longitudinal physical activity trajectories from childhood to adulthood and their determinants: The Young Finns Study (2018)
- Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports
Rovio S.P., Yang X., Kankaanpää A., Aalto V., Hirvensalo M., Telama R., Pahkala K., Hutri-Kähönen N., Viikari J.S.A., Raitakari O.T., Tammelin T.H.
- Maternal and fetal genetic contribution to gestational weight gain (2018)
- International Journal of Obesity
Warrington NM, Richmond R, Fenstra B, Myhre R, Gaillard R, Paternoster L, Wang CA, Beaumont RN, Das S, Murcia M, Barton SJ, Espinosa A, Thiering E, Atalay M, Pitkanen N, Ntalla I, Jonsson AE, Freathy R, Karhunen V, Tiesler CMT, Allard C, Crawford A, Ring SM, Melbye M, Magnus P, Rivadeneira F, Skotte L, Hansen T, Marsh J, Guxens M, Holloway JW, Grallert H, Jaddoe VWV, Lowe WL, Roumeliotaki T, Hattersley AT, Lindi V, Pahkala K, Panoutsopoulou K, Standl M, Flexeder C, Bouchard L, Nohr E, Marina L, Kogevinas M, Niinikoski H, Dedoussis G, Heinrich J, Reynolds RM, Lakka T, Zeggini E, Raitakari OT, Chatzi L, Inskip HM, Bustamante M, Hivert MF, Jarvelin MR, Sorensen TIA, Pennell C, Felix JF, Jacobsson B, Geller F, Evans DM, Lawlor DA
- Neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage, risk factors, and diabetes from childhood to middle age in the Young Finns Study: a cohort study (2018) Kivimäki Mika, Vahtera Jussi, Tabák Adam G, Halonen, Jaana I, Vineis Paolo, Pentti Jaana, Pahkala Katja, Rovio Suvi, Viikari Jorma, Kähönen Mika, Juonala Markus, Ferrie Jane E, Stringhini Silvia, Raitakari Olli T
- Physical Inactivity from Youth to Adulthood and Risk of Impaired Glucose Metabolism (2018)
- Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Petri Kallio, Katja Pahkala, Olli J. Heinonen, Tuija Tammelin, Mirja Hirvensalo, Risto Telama, Markus Juonala, Costan G. Magnussen, Suvi Rovio, Harri Helajärvi, Nina Hutri-Kähönen, Jorma Viikari, Olli T. Raitakari
- Six-week endurance exercise alters gut metagenome that is not reflected in systemic metabolism in over-weight women (2018)
- Frontiers in Microbiology
Eveliina Munukka, Juha P. Ahtiainen, Pere Puigbó, Sirpa Jalkanen, Katja Pahkala, Anniina Keskitalo, Urho M. Kujala, Sami Pietilä, Maija Hollmén, Laura Elo, Pentti Huovinen, Giuseppe D'Auria, Satu Pekkala
- Success in Achieving the Targets of the 20-Year Infancy-Onset Dietary Intervention: Association With Insulin Sensitivity and Serum Lipids (2018) Laitinen TT, Nuotio J, Juonala M, Niinikoski H, Rovio S, Viikari JSA, Ronnemaa T, Magnussen CG, Jokinen E, Lagstrom H, Jula A, Simell O, Raitakari OT, Pahkala K
- Association of Self-Perceived Physical Competence and Leisure-Time Physical Activity in ChildhoodA Follow-Up Study (2017) Hamari L, Heinonen OJ, Aromaa M, Asanti R, Koivusilta L, Koski P, Laaksonen C, Matomaki J, Pahkala K, Pakarinen A, Suominen S, Salantera S
- Association of Socioeconomic Status in Childhood With Left Ventricular Structure and Diastolic Function in Adulthood The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (2017) Laitinen TT, Puolakka E, Ruohonen S, Magnussen CG, Smith KJ, Viikari JSA, Heinonen OJ, Kartiosuo N, Hutri-Kahonen N, Kahonen M, Jokinen E, Laitinen TP, Tossavainen P, Pulkki-Raback L, Elovainio M, Raitakari OT, Pahkala K, Juonala M
- Cardiometabolic Determinants of Carotid and Aortic Distensibility From Childhood to Early Adulthood (2017) Mikola H, Pahkala K, Niinikoski H, Ronnemaa T, Viikari JSA, Jula A, Juonala M, Raitakari OT
- Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Risk of Fatty Liver: The Young Finns Study (2017)
- Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Palve KS, Pahkala K, Suomela E, Aatola H, Hulkkonen J, Juonala M, Lehtimaki T, Ronnemaa T, Viikari JSA, Kahonen M, Hutri-Kahonen N, Telama R, Tammelin T, Raitakari OT
- Cardiovascular Risk Factors From Childhood and Midlife Cognitive Performance The Young Finns Study (2017)
- Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Suvi P. Rovio, Katja Pahkala, Jaakko Nevalainen, Markus Juonala, Pia Salo, Mika Kähönen, Nina Hutri-Kähönen, Terho Lehtimäki, Eero Jokinen, Tomi Laitinen, Leena Taittonen, Päivi Tossavainen, Jorma S.A. Viikari, Juha O. Rinne, Olli T. Raitakari
- Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Arterial Stiffness in Adulthood The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (2017) Puolakka E, Pahkala K, Laitinen TT, Magnussen CG, Hutri-Kahonen N, Kahonen M, Lehtimaki T, Tossavainen P, Jokinen E, Sabin MA, Laitinen T, Elovainio M, Pulkki-Raback L, Viikari JSA, Raitakari OT, Juonala M
- Longitudinal child-oriented dietary intervention: Association with parental diet and cardio-metabolic risk factors. The Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project (2017)
- European Journal of Preventive Cardiology
Jaakkola JM, Pahkala K, Rönnemaa T, Viikari J, Niinikoski H, Jokinen E, Lagström H, Jula A, Raitakari O
- Childhood Socioeconomic Status in Predicting Metabolic Syndrome and Glucose Abnormalities in Adulthood: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (2016) Puolakka E, Pahkala K, Laitinen TT, Magnussen CG, Hutri-Kahonen N, Tossavainen P, Jokinen E, Sabin MA, Laitinen T, Elovainio M, Pulkki-Raback L, Viikari JSA, Raitakari OT, Juonala M
- Cognitive Performance in Young Adulthood and Midlife: Relations With Age, Sex, and Education-The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (2016) Rovio SP, Pahkala K, Nevalainen J, Juonala M, Salo P, Kähönen M, Hutri-Kähönen N, Lehtimäki T, Jokinen E, Laitinen T, Taittonen L, Tossavainen P, Viikari J, Rinne JO, Raitakari OT
- East-west differences and migration in Finland: Association with cardiometabolic risk markers and IMT. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (2016)
- Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
Vahamurto L, Pahkala K, Magnussen CG, Mikila V, Hutri-Kahonen N, Kahonen M, Laitinen T, Taittonen L, Tosavainen P, Lehtimaki T, Jokinen E, Telama R, Ronnemaa T, Viikari J, Juonala M, Raitakari O
- Genome-wide association analysis identifies three new susceptibility loci for childhood body mass index (2016) Felix JF, Bradfield JP, Monnereau C, van der Valk RJP, Stergiakouli E, Chesi A, Gaillard R, Feenstra B, Thiering E, Kreiner-Moller E, Mahajan A, Pitkanen N, Joro R, Cavadino A, Huikari V, Franks S, Groen-Blokhuis MM, Cousminer DL, Marsh JA, Lehtimaki T, Curtin JA, Vioque J, Ahluwalia TS, Myhre R, Price TS, Vilor-Tejedor N, Yengo L, Grarup N, Ntalla I, Ang W, Atalay M, Bisgaard H, Blakemore AI, Bonnefond A, Carstensen L, Eriksson J, Flexeder C, Franke L, Geller F, Geserick M, Hartikainen AL, Haworth CMA, Hirschhorn JN, Hofman A, Holm JC, Horikoshi M, Hottenga JJ, Huang JY, Kadarmideen HN, Kahonen M, Kiess W, Lakka HM, Lakka TA, Lewin AM, Liang L, Lyytikainen LP, Ma BS, Magnus P, McCormack SE, McMahon G, Mentch FD, Middeldorp CM, Murray CS, Pahkala K, Pers TH, Pfaffle R, Postma DS, Power C, Simpson A, Sengpiel V, Tiesler CMT, Torrent M, Uitterlinden AG, van Meurs JB, Vinding R, Waage J, Wardle J, Zeggini E, Zemel BS, Dedoussis GV, Pedersen O, Froguel P, Sunyer J, Plomin R, Jacobsson B, Hansen T, Gonzalez JR, Custovic A, Raitakari OT, Pennell CE, Widen E, Boomsma DI, Koppelman GH, Sebert S, Jarvelin MR, Hypponen E, McCarthy MI, Lindi V, Harri N, Korner A, Bonnelykke K, Heinrich J, Melbye M, Rivadeneira F, Hakonarson H, Ring SM, Smith GD, Sorensen TIA, Timpson NJ, Grant SFA, Jaddoe VWV
- Genome-wide associations for birth weight and correlations with adult disease (2016) Horikoshi M, Beaumont RN, Day FR, Warrington NM, Kooijman MN, Fernandez-Tajes J, Feenstra B, van Zuydam NR, Gaulton KJ, Grarup N, Bradfield JP, Strachan DP, Li-Gao R, Ahluwalia TS, Kreiner E, Rueedi R, Lyytikainen LP, Cousminer DL, Wu Y, Thiering E, Wang CA, Have CT, Hottenga JJ, Vilor-Tejedor N, Joshi PK, Boh ETH, Ntalla I, Pitkanen N, Mahajan A, van Leeuwen EM, Joro R, Lagou V, Nodzenski M, Diver LA, Zondervan KT, Bustamante M, Marques-Vidal P, Mercader JM, Bennett AJ, Rahmioglu N, Nyholt DR, Ma RCW, Tam CHT, Tam WH, Ganesh SK, van Rooij FJA, Jones SE, Loh PR, Ruth KS, Tuke MA, Tyrrell J, Wood AR, Yaghootkar H, Scholtens DM, Paternoster L, Prokopenko I, Kovacs P, Atalay M, Willems SM, Panoutsopoulou K, Wang X, Carstensen L, Geller F, Schraut KE, Murcia M, van Beijsterveldt CEM, Willemsen G, Appel EVR, Fonvig CE, Trier C, Tiesler CMT, Standl M, Kutalik Z, Bonas-Guarch S, Hougaard DM, Sanchez F, Torrents D, Waage J, Hollegaard MV, de Haan HG, Rosendaal FR, Medina-Gomez C, Ring SM, Hemani G, McMahon G, Robertson NR, Groves CJ, Langenberg C, Luan J, Scott RA, Zhao JH, Mentch FD, MacKenzie SM, Reynolds RM, Lowe WL, Tonjes A, Stumvoll M, Lindi V, Lakka TA, van Duijn CM, Kiess W, Korner A, Sorensen TIA, Niinikoski H, Pahkala K, Raitakari OT, Zeggini E, Dedoussis GV, Teo YY, Saw SM, Melbye M, Campbell H, Wilson JF, Vrijheid M, de Geus EJCN, Boomsma DI, Kadarmideen HN, Holm JC, Hansen T, Sebert S, Hattersley AT, Beilin LJ, Newnham JP, Pennell CE, Heinrich J, Adair LS, Borja JB, Mohlke KL, Eriksson JG, Widen E, Kahonen M, Viikari JS, Lehtimaki T, Vollenweider P, Bonnelykke K, Bisgaard H, Mook-Kanamori DO, Hofman A, Rivadeneira F, Uitterlinden AG, Pisinger C, Pedersen O, Power C, Hypponen E, Wareham NJ, Hakonarson H, Davies E, Walker BR, Jaddoe VWV, Jarvelin MR, Grant SFA, Vaag AA, Lawlor DA, Frayling TM, Smith GD, Morris AP, Ong KK, Felix JF, Timpson NJ, Perry JRB, Evans DM, McCarthy MI, Freathy RM
- 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
