Katja Pahkala profile picture
Katja
Pahkala
Professor, Cardiovascular Medicine (CAPC)
Professor, Head of Paavo Nurmi Centre

Contact

+358 40 578 6122
Kiinamyllynkatu 10
20520
Turku

Areas of expertise

Cardiovascular health
prevention
childhood
physical activity
diet
epidemiology
longitudinal studies

Biography

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.

Teaching

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

Research

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.

Publications

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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
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Childhood socioeconomic status and lifetime health behaviors: The Young Finns Study (2018)

International Journal of Cardiology
Elina Puolakka, Katja Pahkala, Tomi T. Laitinen, Costan G. Magnussen, Nina Hutri-Kähönen, Satu Männistö, Kristiina S. Pälve, Tuija Tammelin, Päivi Tossavainen, Eero Jokinen, Kylie J. Smith, Tomi Laitinen, Marko Elovainio, Laura Pulkki-Råback, Jorma S.A. Viikari, Olli T. Raitakari, Markus Juonala
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

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
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))
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