Olli Raitakari
 MD/PhD


olli.raitakari@utu.fi

+358 29 450 2304

Kiinamyllynkatu 10

Turku


: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9365-3702

cardiovascular and metabolic diseases; risk factors; vascular epidemiology; genetic epidemiology; epidemiology; dietary intervention; cohort studies; follow-up studies

EDUCATION AND DEGREES
 
2001   Docent in Clinical Physiology
1997-1999  Postdoc training, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia
1997   Docent in Epidemiology
1996   Specialist in Clinical Physiology 
1995   Doctorate, PhD
1989   Licentiate in Medicine, MD

CURRENT POSITIONS

2017-                 Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine, Director of the Research Centre of Applied and 
                          Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Finland                         

 

PAST POSITIONS

2012-2016                          Academy Professor, University of Turku

2007-2016                          Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine (part time), University of Turku

2007-2008                          Senior Scientist Grant, Academy of Finland

2004-2016                          Chief Physician, Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku
                                           University Hospital (leave of absence 2012-2016)

2002-2004                          Consultant in Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital

2002 (1 mo)                        Head of Nuclear Medicine Department, Turku University Hospital

2000-2003 (3 mo)               Head of Clinical Physiology Department, Turku University Hospital

2000-2005                          Senior Fellow Post, Academy of Finland

1998-2000                          Postdoctoral Research Post, Academy of Finland

1996-1997                          Consultant in Clinical Physiology, Turku University Hospital

1991-1996                          Positions as Resident in Clinical Chemistry, Nuclear Medicine, and Clinical 
                                           Physiology, Turku University Hospital

1988-1990                          Positions as General Practioner and Resident in Internal Medicine or Surgery




Evidence suggest that many non-communicable disease outcomes have roots in childhood and may even stem of adverse ancestral exposures. Improved knowledge how various ancestral and early-life exposures lead to adult disease outcomes is essential in developing better preventive practices and policies that lead to improved public health. My mission has been to contribute to this knowledge-base by working in epidemiologic cohort studies with follow-up from childhood to adulthood. I am the Principal Investigator of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (YFS), the largest study in Europe with a follow-up of cardiovascular risk factors from childhood to adulthood. I am also the Director of the STRIP Study, which is a leading long-term pediatric dietary intervention study testing the hypothesis that modifying the fat quality diet will have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk early in life. During the past years, I have organized several field studies in these cohorts, and introduced novel technologies, such as imaging studies, genetic epidemiology methods and metabolomics approaches in these unique population resources. Our research has contributed to the understanding of pre-clinical development of atherosclerosis in children and young adults, including the effects of diet, life-style, metabolic risk factors, psychological traits and psychosocial factors, inflammation, hormones and genetic markers. For example, by applying non-invasive imaging methods in the Young Finns Study, we have demonstrated that exposure to adverse lipids, elevated blood pressure and obesity in childhood is related to atherosclerosis development in adulthood (JAMA 2003). Subsequent work stemmed from this initial observation has led to numerous original publications that have shown in detail how exposure to a large range of aetiogenic factors early in life contribute to the development of cardio-metabolic outcomes in adulthood. For example, by pooling international i3C Consortium data, we have demonstrated that overweight or obese children who became non-obese by adulthood had similar risks of many cardio-metabolic adult outcomes as individuals who were never obese (NEJM 2011). Thus, the results of our studies have clearly demonstrated that individual’s exposure to various stressors in early life is contributing to his/her adult phenotype and disease risk. The results have had significant impact on preventive practices. As a concrete demonstration of the international recognition and impact of my team’s work, many of our studies are widely cited in all updated paediatric guidelines on cardiovascular prevention both in Europe and in US.



  
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  • Genome-Wide Association and Functional Follow-Up Reveals New Loci for Kidney FunctionGenome-wide meta-analysis of common variant differences between men and women  (2012)  
    • PLoS GeneticsHuman Molecular Genetics
     Pattaro C, Kottgen A, Teumer A, Garnaas M, Boger CA, Fuchsberger C, Olden M, Chen MH, Tin A, Taliun D, Li M, Gao XY, Gorski M, Yang Q, Hundertmark C, Foster MC, O'Seaghdha CM, Glazer N, Isaacs A, Liu CT, Smith AV, O'Connell JR, Struchalin M, Tanaka T, Li G, Johnson AD, Gierman HJ, Feitosa M, Hwang SJ, Atkinson EJ, Lohman K, Cornelis MC, Johansson A, Tonjes A, Dehghan A, Chouraki V, Holliday EG, Sorice R, Kutalik Z, Lehtimaki T, Esko T, Deshmukh H, Ulivi S, Chu AY, Murgia F, Trompet S, Imboden M, Kollerits B, Pistis G, Harris TB, Launer LJ, Aspelund T, Eiriksdottir G, Mitchell BD, Boerwinkle E, Schmidt H, Cavalieri M, Rao M, Hu FB, Demirkan A, Oostra BA, de Andrade M, Turner ST, Ding JZ, Andrews JS, Freedman BI, Koenig W, Illig T, Doring A, Wichmann HE, Kolcic I, Zemunik T, Boban M, Minelli C, Wheeler HE, Igl W, Zaboli G, Wild SH, Wright AF, Campbell H, Ellinghaus D, Nothlings U, Jacobs G, Biffar R, Endlich K, Ernst F, Homuth G, Kroemer HK, Nauck M, Stracke S, Volker U, Volzke H, Kovacs P, Stumvoll M, Magi R, Hofman A, Uitterlinden AG, Rivadeneira F, Aulchenko YS, Polasek O, Hastie N, Vitart V, Helmer C, Wang JJ, Ruggiero D, Bergmann S, Kahonen M, Viikari J, Nikopensius T, Province M, Ketkar S, Colhoun H, Doney A, Robino A, Giulianini F, Kramer BK, Portas L, Ford I, Buckley BM, Adam M, Thun GA, Paulweber B, Haun M, Sala C, Metzger M, Mitchell P, Ciullo M, Kim SK, Vollenweider P, Raitakari O, Metspalu A, Palmer C, Gasparini P, Pirastu M, Jukema JW, Probst-Hensch NM, Kronenberg F, Toniolo D, Gudnason V, Shuldiner AR, Coresh J, Schmidt R, Ferrucci L, Siscovick DS, van Duijn CM, Borecki I, Kardia SLR, Liu YM, Curhan GC, Rudan I, Gyllensten U, Wilson JF, Franke A, Pramstaller PP, Rettig R, Prokopenko I, Witteman JCM, Hayward C, Ridker P, Parsa A, Bochud M, Heid IM, Goessling W, Chasman DI, Kao WHL, Fox CS


  • Genome-Wide Association Studies of Asthma in Population-Based Cohorts Confirm Known and Suggested Loci and Identify an Additional Association near HLA  (2012)  
    • PLoS ONECirculation: Cardiovascular Genetics
     Ramasamy A, Kuokkanen M, Vedantam S, Gajdos ZK, Alves AC, Lyon HN, Ferreira MAR, Strachan DP, Zhao JH, Abramson MJ, Brown MA, Coin L, Dharmage SC, Duffy DL, Haahtela T, Heath AC, Janson C, Kahonen M, Khaw KT, Laitinen J, Le Souef P, Lehtimaki T, Madden PAF, Marks GB, Martin NG, Matheson MC, Palmer CD, Palotie A, Pouta A, Robertson CF, Viikari J, Widen E, Wjst M, Jarvis DL, Montgomery GW, Thompson PJ, Wareham N, Eriksson J, Jousilahti P, Laitinen T, Pekkanen J, Raitakari OT, O'Connor GT, Salomaa V, Jarvelin MR, Hirschhorn JN


  • Genome-wide association study does not reveal major genetic determinants for anti-cytomegalovirus antibody response  (2012)  
    • Genes and ImmunityPediatrics
     Kuparinen T, Seppala I, Jylhava J, Marttila S, Aittoniemi J, Kettunen J, Viikari J, Kahonen M, Raitakari O, Lehtimaki T, Hurme M


  • Genome-wide association study identifies multiple loci influencing human serum metabolite levelsHigh-throughput quantification of circulating metabolites improves prediction of subclinical atherosclerosis  (2012)  
    • Nature GeneticsEuropean Heart Journal
     Kettunen J, Tukiainen T, Sarin AP, Ortega-Alonso A, Tikkanen E, Lyytikainen LP, Kangas AJ, Soininen P, Wurtz P, Silander K, Dick DM, Rose RJ, Savolainen MJ, Viikari J, Kahonen M, Lehtimaki T, Pietilainen KH, Inouye M, McCarthy MI, Jula A, Eriksson J, Raitakari OT, Salomaa V, Kaprio J, Jarvelin MR, Peltonen L, Perola M, Freimer NB, Ala-Korpela M, Palotie A, Ripatti S


  • Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 56 bone mineral density loci and reveals 14 loci associated with risk of fractureIdeal Cardiovascular Health in Childhood and Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Adulthood The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study  (2012)  
    • Nature GeneticsCirculation
     Estrada K, Styrkarsdottir U, Evangelou E, Hsu YH, Duncan EL, Ntzani EE, Oei L, Albagha OME, Amin N, Kemp JP, Koller DL, Li G, Liu CT, Minster RL, Moayyeri A, Vandenput L, Willner D, Xiao SM, Yerges-Armstrong LM, Zheng HF, Alonso N, Eriksson J, Kammerer CM, Kaptoge SK, Leo PJ, Thorleifsson G, Wilson SG, Wilson JF, Aalto V, Alen M, Aragaki AK, Aspelund T, Center JR, Dailiana Z, Duggan DJ, Garcia M, Garcia-Giralt N, Giroux S, Hallmans G, Hocking LJ, Husted LB, Jameson KA, Khusainova R, Kim GS, Kooperberg C, Koromila T, Kruk M, Laaksonen M, Lacroix AZ, Lee SH, Leung PC, Lewis JR, Masi L, Mencej-Bedrac S, Nguyen TV, Nogues X, Patel MS, Prezelj J, Rose LM, Scollen S, Siggeirsdottir K, Smith AV, Svensson O, Trompet S, Trummer O, van Schoor NM, Woo J, Zhu K, Balcells S, Brandi ML, Buckley BM, Cheng SL, Christiansen C, Cooper C, Dedoussis G, Ford I, Frost M, Goltzman D, Gonzalez-Macias J, Kahonen M, Karlsson M, Khusnutdinova E, Koh JM, Kollia P, Langdahl BL, Leslie WD, Lips P, Ljunggren O, Lorenc RS, Marc J, Mellstrom D, Obermayer-Pietsch B, Olmos JM, Pettersson-Kymmer U, Reid DM, Riancho JA, Ridker PM, Rousseau F, Slagboom PE, Tang NLS, Urreizti R, Van Hul W, Viikari J, Zarrabeitia MT, Aulchenko YS, Castano-Betancourt M, Grundberg E, Herrera L, Ingvarsson T, Johannsdottir H, Kwan T, Li R, Luben R, Medina-Gomez C, Palsson ST, Reppe S, Rotter JI, Sigurdsson G, van Meurs JBJ, Verlaan D, Williams FMK, Wood AR, Zhou YH, Gautvik KM, Pastinen T, Raychaudhuri S, Cauley JA, Chasman DI, Clark GR, Cummings SR, Danoy P, Dennison EM, Eastell R, Eisman JA, Gudnason V, Hofman A, Jackson RD, Jones G, Jukema JW, Khaw KT, Lehtimaki T, Liu YM, Lorentzon M, McCloskey E, Mitchell BD, Nandakumar K, Nicholson GC, Oostra BA, Peacock M, Pols HAP, Prince RL, Raitakari O, Reid IR, Robbins J, Sambrook PN, Sham PC, Shuldiner AR, Tylavsky FA, van Duijn CM, Wareham NJ, Cupples LA, Econs MJ, Evans DM, Harris TB, Kung AWC, Psaty BM, Reeve J, Spector TD, Streeten EA, Zillikens MC, Thorsteinsdottir U, Ohlsson C, Karasik D, Richards JB, Brown MA, Stefansson K, Uitterlinden AG, Ralston SH, Ioannidis JPA, Kiel DP, Rivadeneira F


  •   (2012)  
       Boraska V, Jeroncic A, Colonna V, Southam L, Nyholt DR, Rayner NW, Perry JRB, Toniolo D, Albrecht E, Ang W, Bandinelli S, Barbalic M, Barroso I, Beckmann JS, Biffar R, Boomsma D, Campbell H, Corre T, Erdmann J, Esko T, Fischer K, Franceschini N, Frayling TM, Girotto G, Gonzalez JR, Harris TB, Heath AC, Heid IM, Hoffmann W, Hofman A, Horikoshi M, Zhao JH, Jackson AU, Hottenga JJ, Jula A, Kahonen M, Khaw KT, Kiemeney LA, Klopp N, Kutalik Z, Lagou V, Launer LJ, Lehtimaki T, Lemire M, Lokki ML, Loley C, Luan JA, Mangino M, Leach IM, Medland SE, Mihailov E, Montgomery GW, Navis G, Newnham J, Nieminen MS, Palotie A, Panoutsopoulou K, Peters A, Pirastu N, Polasek O, Rehnstrom K, Ripatti S, Ritchie GRS, Rivadeneira F, Robino A, Samani NJ, Shin SY, Sinisalo J, Smit JH, Soranzo N, Stolk L, Swinkels DW, Tanaka T, Teumer A, Tonjes A, Traglia M, Tuomilehto J, Valsesia A, van Gilst WH, van Meurs JBJ, Smith AV, Viikari J, Vink JM, Waeber G, Warrington NM, Widen E, Willemsen G, Wright AF, Zanke BW, Zgaga L, Boehnke M, d'Adamo AP, de Geus E, Demerath EW, den Heijer M, Eriksson JG, Ferrucci L, Gieger C, Gudnason V, Hayward C, Hengstenberg C, Hudson TJ, Jarvelin MR, Kogevinas M, Loos RJF, Martin NG, Metspalu A, Pennell CE, Penninx BW, Perola M, Raitakari O, Salomaa V, Schreiber S, Schunkert H, Spector TD, Stumvoll M, Uitterlinden AG, Ulivi S, van der Harst P, Vollenweider P, Volzke H, Wareham NJ, Wichmann HE, Wilson JF, Rudan I, Xue YL, Zeggini E


    • Genome-Wide Screen for Metabolic Syndrome Susceptibility Loci Reveals Strong Lipid Gene Contribution But No Evidence for Common Genetic Basis for Clustering of Metabolic Syndrome Traits  (2012)  
         Kristiansson K, Perola M, Tikkanen E, Kettunen J, Surakka I, Havulinna AS, Stancakova A, Barnes C, Widen E, Kajantie E, Eriksson JG, Viikari J, Kahonen M, Lehtimoki T, Raitakari OT, Hartikainen AL, Ruokonen A, Pouta A, Jula A, Kangas AJ, Soininen P, Ala-Korpela M, Mannisto S, Jousilahti P, Bonnycastle LL, Jarvelin MR, Kuusisto J, Collins FS, Laakso M, Hurles ME, Palotie A, Peltonen L, Ripatti S, Salomaa V


      • Genotype Prediction of Adult Type 2 Diabetes From Adolescence in a Multiracial Population  (2012)  
           Vassy JL, DasMahapatra P, Meigs JB, Schork NJ, Magnussen CG, Chen W, Raitakari OT, Pencina MJ, Jamal SM, Berenson GS, Goodman E


        •   (2012)  
             Wurtz P, Raiko JR, Magnussen CG, Soininen P, Kangas AJ, Tynkkynen T, Thomson R, Laatikainen R, Savolainen MJ, Laurikka J, Kuukasjarvi P, Tarkka M, Karhunen PJ, Jula A, Viikari JS, Kahonen M, Lehtimaki T, Juonala M, Ala-Korpela M, Raitakari OT


          •   (2012)  
               Laitinen TT, Pahkala K, Magnussen CG, Viikari JSA, Oikonen M, Taittonen L, Mikkila V, Jokinen E, Hutri-Kahonen N, Laitinen T, Kahonen M, Lehtimaki T, Raitakari OT, Juonala M



            Last updated on 12/07/2023 12:01:23 PM