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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Attainment of Targets of the 20-Year Infancy-Onset Dietary Intervention and Blood Pressure Across Childhood and Young Adulthood The Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project (STRIP) (2020)

Hypertension
Laitinen Tomi T., Nuotio Joel, Niinikoski Harri, Juonala Markus, Rovio Suvi P., Viikari Jorma S.A., Rönnemaa Tapani, Magnussen Costan G., Sabin Matthew, Burgner David, Jokinen Eero, Lagström Hanna, Jula Antti, Simell Olli, Raitakari Olli T., Pahkala Katja
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Genetic predisposition to higher body fat yet lower cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents (2019)

International Journal of Obesity
Anna Viitasalo, Theresia M. Schnurr, Niina Pitkänen, Mette Hollensted, Tenna R. H. Nielsen, Katja Pahkala, Niina Lintu, Mads V. Lind, Mustafa Atalay, Christine Frithioff-Bøjsøe, Cilius E. Fonvig, Niels Grarup, Mika Kähönen, Anni Larnkjaer, Oluf Pedersen, Jens-Christian Holm, Kim F. Michaelsen, Timo A. Lakka, Terho Lehtimäki, Olli Raitakari, Torben Hansen, Tuomas O. Kilpeläinen
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

The Early Growth Genetics (EGG) and EArly Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology (EAGLE) consortia: design, results and future prospects (2019)

European Journal of Epidemiology
Middeldorp CM, Mahajan A, Horikoshi M, Robertson NR, Beaumont RN, Bradfield JP, Bustamante M, Cousminer DL, Day FR, De Silva NM, Guxens M, Mook-Kanamori DO, St Pourcain B, Warrington NM, Adair LS, Ahlqvist E, Ahluwalia TS, Almgren P, Ang W, Atalay M, Auvinen J, Bartels M, Beckmann JS, Bilbao JR, Bond T, Borja JB, Cavadino A, Charoen P, Chen ZH, Coin L, Cooper C, Curtin JA, Custovic A, Das S, Davies GE, Dedoussis GV, Duijts L, Eastwood PR, Eliasen AU, Elliott P, Eriksson JG, Estivill X, Fadista J, Fedko IO, Frayling TM, Gaillard R, Gauderman WJ, Geller F, Gilliland F, Gilsanz V, Granell R, Grarup N, Groop L, Hadley D, Hakonarson H, Hansen T, Hartman CA, Hattersley AT, Hayes MG, Hebebrand J, Heinrich J, Helgeland O, Henders AK, Henderson J, Henriksen TB, Hirschhorn JN, Hivert MF, Hocher B, Holloway JW, Holt P, Hottenga JJ, Hypponen E, Iniguez C, Johansson S, Jugessur A, Kahonen M, Kalkwarf HJ, Kaprio J, Karhunen V, Kemp JP, Kerkhof M, Koppelman GH, Korner A, Kotecha S, Kreiner-Moller E, Kulohoma B, Kumar A, Kutalik Z, Lahti J, Lappe JM, Larsson H, Lehtimaki T, Lewin AM, Li J, Lichtenstein P, Lindgren CM, Lindi V, Linneberg A, Liu XP, Liu J, Lowe WL, Lundstrom S, Lyytikainen LP, Ma RCW, Mace A, Magi R, Magnus P, Mamun AA, Mannikko M, Martin NG, Mbarek H, McCarthy NS, Medland SE, Melbye M, Melen E, Mohlke KL, Monnereau C, Morgen CS, Morris AP, Murray JC, Myhre R, Najman JM, Nivard MG, Nohr EA, Nolte IM, Ntalla I, O'Reilly P, Oberfield SE, Oken E, Oldehinkel AJ, Pahkala K, Palviainen T, Panoutsopoulou K, Pedersen O, Pennell CE, Pershagen G, Pitkanen N, Plomin R, Power C, Prasad RB, Prokopenko I, Pulkkinen L, Raikkonen K, Raitakari OT, Reynolds RM, Richmond RC, Rivadeneira F, Rodriguez A, Rose RJ, Salem R, Santa-Marina L, Saw SM, Schnurr TM, Scott JG, Selzam S, Shepherd JA, Simpson A, Skotte L, Sleiman PMM, Snieder H, Sorensen TIA, Standl M, Steegers EAP, Strachan DP, Straker L, Strandberg T, Taylor M, Teo YY, Thiering E, Torrent M, Tyrrell J, Uitterlinden AG, van Beijsterveldt T, van der Most PJ, van Duijn CM, Viikari J, Vilor-Tejedor N, Vogelezang S, Vonk JM, Vrijkotte TGM, Vuoksimaa E, Wang CA, Watkins WJ, Wichmann HE, Willemsen G, Williams GM, Wilson JF, Wray NR, Xu SJ, Xu CJ, Yaghootkar H, Yi L, Zafarmand MH, Zeggini E, Zemel BS, Hinney A, Lakka TA, Whitehouse AJO, Sunyer J, Widen EE, Feenstra B, Sebert S, Jacobsson B, Njolstad PR, Stoltenberg C, Smith GD, Lawlor DA, Paternoster L, Timpson NJ, Ong KK, Bisgaard H, Bonnelykke K, Jaddoe VWV, Tiemeier H, Jarvelin MR, Evans DM, Perry JRB, Grant SFA, Boomsma DI, Freathy RM, McCarthy MI, Adair LS, Ahlqvist E, Ahluwalia TS, Almgren P, Ang W, Atalay M, Beaumont RN, Beckmann JS, Bisgaard H, Bond T, Bonnelykke K, Boomsma DI, Borja JB, Bradfield JP, Bustamante M, Cavadino A, Charoen P, Coin L, Cooper C, Cousminer DL, Curtin JA, Custovic A, Das S, Day FR, De Silva NM, Dedoussis GV, Elliott P, Eriksson JG, Evans DM, Fadista J, Feenstra B, Felix JF, Frayling TM, Freathy RM, Gaillard R, Geller F, Gilsanz V, Grant SFA, Grarup N, Groop L, Guxens M, Hadley D, Hakonarson H, Hansen T, Hattersley AT, Hayes MG, Hebebrand J, Heinrich J, Helgeland O, Henriksen TB, Hinney A, Hirschhorn JN, Hivert MF, Hocher B, Holloway JW, Horikoshi M, Hottenga JJ, Hypponen E, Jacobsson B, Jaddoe VWV, Jarvelin MR, Johansson S, Kalkwarf HJ, Kerkhof M, Korner A, Kotecha S, Kreiner-Moller E, Kulohoma B, Kutalik Z, Lakka TA, Lappe JM, Lawlor DA, Lehtimaki T, Lewin AM, Lindgren CM, Lindi V, Linneberg A, Liu XP, Liu J, Lowe WL, Ma RCW, Mace A, Magi R, Magnus P, Mahajan A, McCarthy NS, McCarthy MI, Melbye M, Mohlke KL, Monnereau C, Mook-Kanamori DO, Morgen CS, Morris AP, Murray JC, Myhre R, Njolstad PR, Nohr EA, Ntalla I, O'Reilly P, Oberfield SE, Oken E, Ong KK, Panoutsopoulou K, Pedersen O, Pennell CE, Perry JRB, Pitkanen N, St Pourcain B, Power C, Prasad RB, Prokopenko I, Raitakari OT, Reynolds RM, Richmond RC, Rodriguez A, Salem R, Saw SM, Schnurr TM, Sebert S, Shepherd JA, Simpson A, Skotte L, Sorensen TIA, Standl M, Steegers EAP, Strachan DP, Sunyer J, Taylor M, Teo YY, Thiering E, Timpson NJ, Tyrrell J, Uitterlinden AG, van Duijn CM, Vogelezang S, Vrijkotte TGM, Wang CA, Warrington NM, Watkins WJ, Wichmann HE, Widen EE, Willemsen G, Wilson JF, Yaghootkar H, Zafarmand MH, Zeggini E, Zemel BS, Ahluwalia TS, Auvinen J, Bartels M, Bilbao JR, Bisgaard H, Bonnelykke K, Boomsma DI, Bradfield JP, Bustamante M, Chen ZH, Curtin JA, Custovic A, Smith GD, Davies GE, Duijts L, Eastwood PR, Eliasen AU, Estivill X, Evans DM, Fedko IO, Felix JF, Gauderman WJ, Gilliland F, Granell R, Grant SFA, Guxens M, Hakonarson H, Hartman CA, Heinrich J, Henders AK, Henderson J, Holt P, Hottenga JJ, Hypponen E, Iniguez C, Jacobsson B, Jaddoe VWV, Jarvelin MR, Jugessur A, Kahonen M, Kaprio J, Karhunen V, Kemp JP, Koppelman GH, Kumar A, Lahti J, Larsson H, Lawlor DA, Lehtimaki T, Li J, Lichtenstein P, Lundstrom S, Lyytikainen LP, Magnus P, Mamun AA, Mannikko M, Martin NG, Mbarek H, Medland SE, Melen E, Middeldorp CM, Najman JM, Nivard MG, Nolte IM, Oldehinkel AJ, Pahkala K, Palviainen T, Paternoster L, Pennell CE, Pershagen G, Pitkanen N, Plomin R, St Pourcain B, Power C, Pulkkinen L, Raikkonen K, Raitakari OT, Richmond RC, Rivadeneira F, Rose RJ, Santa-Marina L, Scott JG, Sebert S, Selzam S, Simpson A, Sleiman PMA, Snieder H, Standl M, Stoltenberg C, Strachan DP, Straker L, Strandberg T, Sunyer J, Thiering E, Tiemeier HN, Timpson NJ, Torrent M, Uitterlinden AG, van Beijsterveldt T, van der Most PJ, van Duijn CM, Viikari J, Vilor-Tejedor N, Vonk JM, Vrijkotte TGM, Vuoksimaa E, Wang CA, Whitehouse AJO, Willemsen G, Williams GM, Wray NR, Xu SJ, Xu CJ, Yi L, Zafarmand MH, Zafarmand MH
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Association of Birth Weight With Type 2 Diabetes and Glycemic Traits: A Mendelian Randomization Study (2019)

JAMA Network Open
Huang T, Wang TA, Zheng Y, Ellervik C, Li X, Gao M, Fang Z, Chai JF, Ahluwalia TVS, Wang YJ, Voortman T, Noordam R, Frazier-Wood A, Scholz M, Sonestedt E, Akiyama M, Dorajoo R, Zhou A, Kilpelainen TO, Kleber ME, Crozier SR, Godfrey KM, Lemaitre R, Felix JF, Shi Y, Gupta P, Khor CC, Lehtimaki T, Wang CA, Tiesler CMT, Thiering E, Standl M, Rzehak P, Marouli E, He M, Lecoeur C, Corella D, Lai CQ, Moreno LA, Pitkanen N, Boreham CA, Zhang T, Saw SM, Ridker PM, Graff M, Van Rooij FJA, Uitterlinden AG, Hofman A, van Heemst D, Rosendaal FR, de Mutsert R, Burkhardt R, Schulz CA, Ericson U, Kamatani Y, Yuan JM, Power C, Hansen T, Sorensen TIA, Tjonneland A, Overvad K, Delgado G, Cooper C, Djousse L, Rivadeneira F, Jameson K, Zhao W, Liu JJ, Lee NR, Raitakari O, Kahonen M, Viikari J, Grote V, Langhendries JP, Koletzko B, Escribano J, Verduci E, Dedoussis G, Yu CZ, Tham YC, Lim B, Lim SH, Froguel P, Balkau B, Fink NR, Vinding RK, Sevelsted A, Bisgaard H, Coltell O, Dallongeville J, Gottrand F, Pahkala K, Niinikoski H, Hypponen E, Pedersen O, Marz W, Inskip H, Jaddoe VV, Dennison E, YinWong T, Sabanayagam C, Tai ES, Mohlke KL, Mackey DA, Gruszfeld D, Deloukas P, Tucker KL, Fumeron F, Bonnelykke K, Rossing P, Estruch R, Ordovas JM, Arnett DK, Meirhaeghe A, Amouyel P, Cheng CY, Sim XL, Teo YY, van Dam R, Koh WP, Orho-Melander M, Loeffler M, Kubo M, Thiery J, Mook-Kanamori DO, Mozaffarian D, Psaty BM, Franco OH, Wu TC, North KE, Smith GD, Chavarro JE, Chasman DI, Qi L
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Maternal and fetal genetic effects on birth weight and their relevance to cardio-metabolic risk factors (2019)

Nature Genetics
Warrington N.M., Beaumont R.N., Horikoshi M., Day F.R., Helgeland Ø., Laurin C., Bacelis J., Peng S., Hao K., Feenstra B., Wood A.R., Mahajan A., Tyrrell J., Robertson N.R., Rayner N.W., Qiao Z., Moen G.-H., Vaudel M., Marsit C.J., Chen J., Nodzenski M., Schnurr T.M., Zafarmand M.H., Bradfield J.P., Grarup N., Kooijman M.N., Li-Gao R., Geller F., Ahluwalia T.S., Paternoster L., Rueedi R., Huikari V., Hottenga J.-J., Lyytikäinen L.-P., Cavadino A., Metrustry S., Cousminer D.L., Wu Y., Thiering E., Wang C.A., Have C.T., Vilor-Tejedor N., Joshi P.K., Painter J.N., Ntalla I., Myhre R., Pitkänen N., van Leeuwen E.M., Joro R., Lagou V., Richmond R.C., Espinosa A., Barton S.J., Inskip H.M., Holloway J.W., Santa-Marina L., Estivill X., Ang W., Marsh J.A., Reichetzeder C., Marullo L., Hocher B., Lunetta K.L., Murabito J.M., Relton C.L., Kogevinas M., Chatzi L., Allard C., Bouchard L., Hivert M.-F., Zhang G., Muglia L.J., Heikkinen J., Morgen C.S., van Kampen A.H.C., van Schaik B.D.C., Mentch F.D., Langenberg C., Luan J., Scott R.A., Zhao J.H., Hemani G., Ring S.M., Bennett A.J., Gaulton K.J., Fernandez-Tajes J., van Zuydam N.R., Medina-Gomez C., de Haan H.G., Rosendaal F.R., Kutalik Z., Marques-Vidal P., Das S., Willemsen G., Mbarek H., Müller-Nurasyid M., Standl M., Appel E.V.R., Fonvig C.E., Trier C., van Beijsterveldt C.E.M., Murcia M., Bustamante M., Bonas-Guarch S., Hougaard D.M., Mercader J.M., Linneberg A., Schraut K.E., Lind P.A., Medland S.E., Shields B.M., Knight B.A., Chai J.-F., Panoutsopoulou K., Bartels M., Sánchez F., Stokholm J., Torrents D., Vinding R.K., Willems S.M., Atalay M., Chawes B.L., Kovacs P., Prokopenko I., Tuke M.A., Yaghootkar H., Ruth K.S., Jones S.E., Loh P.-R., Murray A., Weedon M.N., Tönjes A., Stumvoll M., Michaelsen K.F., Eloranta A.-M., Lakka T.A., van Duijn C.M., Kiess W., Körner A., Niinikoski H., Pahkala K., Raitakari O.T., Jacobsson B., Zeggini E., Dedoussis G.V., Teo Y.-Y., Saw S.-M., Montgomery G.W., Campbell H., Wilson J.F., Vrijkotte T.G.M., Vrijheid M., de Geus E.J.C.N., Hayes M.G., Kadarmideen H.N., Holm J.-C., Beilin L.J., Pennell C.E., Heinrich J., Adair L.S., Borja J.B., Mohlke K.L., Eriksson J.G., Widén E.E., Hattersley A.T., Spector T.D., Kähönen M., Viikari J.S., Lehtimäki T., Boomsma D.I., Sebert S., Vollenweider P., Sørensen T.I.A., Bisgaard H., Bønnelykke K., Murray J.C., Melbye M., Nohr E.A., Mook-Kanamori D.O., Rivadeneira F., Hofman A., Felix J.F., Jaddoe V.W.V., Hansen T., Pisinger C., Vaag A.A., Pedersen O., Uitterlinden A.G., Järvelin M.-R., Power C., Hyppönen E., Scholtens D.M., Lowe W.L., Jr, Davey Smith G., Timpson N.J., Morris A.P., Wareham N.J., Hakonarson H., Grant S.F.A., Frayling T.M., Lawlor D.A., Njølstad P.R., Johansson S., Ong K.K., McCarthy M.I., Perry J.R.B., Evans D.M., Freathy R.M.; EGG Consortium
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))