Olli Raitakari profile picture
Olli
Raitakari
Professor, Cardiovascular Medicine (CAPC)
InFLAMES Flagship
MD/PhD

Contact

+358 29 450 2304
Kiinamyllynkatu 10
20520
Turku

Areas of expertise

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

Biography

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


Research

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.

Publications

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Multi-ancestry GWAS of the electrocardiographic PR interval identifies 202 loci underlying cardiac conduction (2020)

Nature Communications
Ntalla I, Weng LC, Cartwright JH, Hall AW, Sveinbjornsson G, Tucker NR, Choi SH, Chaffin MD, Roselli C, Barnes MR, Mifsud B, Warren HR, Hayward C, Marten J, Cranley JJ, Concas MP, Gasparini P, Boutin T, Kolcic I, Polasek O, Rudan I, Araujo NM, Lima-Costa MF, Ribeiro ALP, Souza RP, Tarazona-Santos E, Giedraitis V, Ingelsson E, Mahajan A, Morris AP, Del Greco M F, Foco L, Gögele M, Hicks AA, Cook JP, Lind L, Lindgren CM, Sundström J, Nelson CP, Riaz MB, Samani NJ, Sinagra G, Ulivi S, Kähönen M, Mishra PP, Mononen N, Nikus K, Caulfield MJ, Dominiczak A, Padmanabhan S, Montasser ME, O'Connell JR, Ryan K, Shuldiner AR, Aeschbacher S, Conen D, Risch L, Thériault S, Hutri-Kähönen N, Lehtimäki T, Lyytikäinen LP, Raitakari OT, Barnes CLK, Campbell H, Joshi PK, Wilson JF, Isaacs A, Kors JA, van Duijn CM, Huang PL, Gudnason V, Harris TB, Launer LJ, Smith AV, Bottinger EP, Loos RJF, Nadkarni GN, Preuss MH, Correa A, Mei H, Wilson J, Meitinger T, Müller-Nurasyid M, Peters A, Waldenberger M, Mangino M, Spector TD, Rienstra M, van de Vegte YJ, van der Harst P, Verweij N, Kääb S, Schramm K, Sinner MF, Strauch K, Cutler MJ, Fatkin D, London B, Olesen M, Roden DM, Benjamin Shoemaker M, Gustav Smith J, Biggs ML, Bis JC, Brody JA, Psaty BM, Rice K, Sotoodehnia N, De Grandi A, Fuchsberger C, Pattaro C, Pramstaller PP, Ford I, Wouter Jukema J, Macfarlane PW, Trompet S, Dörr M, Felix SB, Völker U, Weiss S, Havulinna AS, Jula A, Sääksjärvi K, Salomaa V, Guo X, Heckbert SR, Lin HJ, Rotter JI, Taylor KD, Yao J, de Mutsert R, Maan AC, Mook-Kanamori DO, Noordam R, Cucca F, Ding J, Lakatta EG, Qian Y, Tarasov KV, Levy D, Lin H, Newton-Cheh CH, Lunetta KL, Murray AD, Porteous DJ, Smith BH, Stricker BH, Uitterlinden A, van den Berg ME, Haessler J, Jackson RD, Kooperberg C, Peters U, Reiner AP, Whitsel EA, Alonso A, Arking DE, Boerwinkle E, Ehret GB, Soliman EZ, Avery CL, Gogarten SM, Kerr KF, Laurie CC, Seyerle AA, Stilp A, Assa S, Abdullah Said M, Yldau van der Ende M, Lambiase PD, Orini M, Ramirez J, Van Duijvenboden S, Arnar DO, Gudbjartsson DF, Holm H, Sulem P, Thorleifsson G, Thorolfsdottir RB, Thorsteinsdottir U, Benjamin EJ, Tinker A, Stefansson K, Ellinor PT, Jamshidi Y, Lubitz SA, Munroe PB
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Genome-wide association meta-analysis of corneal curvature identifies novel loci and shared genetic influences across axial length and refractive error (2020)

Communications Biology
Qiao Fan, Alfred Pozarickij, Nicholas Y Q Tan, Xiaobo Guo, Virginie J M Verhoeven,
Veronique Vitart, Jeremy A Guggenheim, Masahiro Miyake, J Willem L Tideman,
Anthony P Khawaja, Liang Zhang, Stuart MacGregor, René Höhn, Peng Chen,
Ginevra Biino, Juho Wedenoja, Seyed Ehsan Saffari, Milly S Tedja, Jing Xie,
Carla Lanca, Ya Xing Wang, Srujana Sahebjada, Johanna Mazur, Alireza Mirshahi,
Nicholas G Martin, Seyhan Yazar, Craig E Pennell, Maurice Yap, Annechien E G Haarman,
Clair A Enthoven, JanRoelof Polling, Consortium for Refractive Error and Myopia (CREAM), UK Biobank
Eye and Vision Consortium, Alex W Hewitt, Vincent W V Jaddoe, Cornelia M van Duijn,
Caroline Hayward, Ozren Polasek, E-Shyong Tai, Hosoda Yoshikatsu, Pirro G Hysi,
Terri L Young, Akitaka Tsujikawa, Jie Jing Wang, Paul Mitchell, Norbert Pfeiffer,
Olavi Pärssinen, Paul J Foster, Maurizio Fossarello, Shea Ping Yip, Cathy Williams,
Christopher J Hammond, Jost B Jonas, Mingguang He, David A Mackey,
Tien-Yin Wong, Caroline C W Klaver, Seang-Mei Saw, Paul N Baird, Ching-Yu Cheng
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Abdominal adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents: a Mendelian randomization analysis (2019)

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Viitasalo A, Schnurr TM, Pitkänen N, Hollensted M, Nielsen TRH, Pahkala K, Atalay M, Lind MV, Heikkinen S, Frithioff-Bøjsøe C, Fonvig CE, Grarup N, Kähönen M, Carrasquilla GD, Larnkjaer A, Pedersen O, Michaelsen KF, Lakka TA, Holm JC, Lehtimäki T, Raitakari O, Hansen T, Kilpeläinen TO
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Genome-wide association analyses of risk tolerance and risky behaviors in over 1 million individuals identify hundreds of loci and shared genetic influences (2019)

Nature Genetics
Linner RK, Biroli P, Kong E, Meddens FW, Wedow R, Fontana MA, Lebreton M, Tino SP, Abdellaoui A, Hammerschlag AR, Nivard MG, Okbay A, Rietveld CA, Timshel PN, Trzaskowski M, Vlaming R, Zund CL, Bao YC, Buzdugan L, Caplin AH, Chen CY, Eibich P, Fontanillas P, Gonzalez JR, Joshi PK, Karhunen V, Kleinman A, Levin RZ, Lill CM, Meddens GA, Muntane G, Sanchez-Roige S, Rooij FJ, Taskesen E, Wu Y, Zhang FT, Agee M, Alipanahi B, Bell RK, Bryc K, Elson SL, Furlotte NA, Huber KE, Litterman NK, McCreight JC, McIntyre MH, Mountain JL, Northover CAM, Pitts SJ, Sathirapongsasuti JF, Sazonova OV, Shelton JF, Shringarpure S, Tian C, Tung JY, Vacic V, Wilson CH, Agbessi M, Ahsan H, Alves I, Andiappan A, Awadalla P, Battle A, Beutner F, Bonder MJ, Boomsma DI, Christiansen M, Claringbould A, Deelen P, Esko T, Fave MJ, Franke L, Frayling T, Gharib SA, Gibson G, Heijmans B, Hemani G, Jansen R, Kahonen M, Kalnapenkis A, Kasela S, Kettunen J, Kim Y, Kirsten H, Kovacs P, Krohn K, Kronberg-Guzman J, Kukushkina V, Kutalik Z, Lee B, Lehtimaki T, Loeffler M, Marigorta UM, Metspalu A, Milani L, Montgomery GW, Mueller-Nurasyid M, Nauck M, Penninx B, Perola M, Pervjakova N, Pierce B, Powell J, Prokisch H, Psaty BM, Raitakari O, Ring S, Ripatti S, Rotzchke O, Rueger S, Saha A, Scholz M, Schramm K, Seppala I, Stumvoll M, Sullivan P, Hoen PB, Teumer A, Thiery J, Tong L, Tonjes A, van Dongen J, van Meurs J, Verlouw J, Visscher PM, Volker U, Vosa U, Westra HJ, Yaghootkar H, Yang J, Zeng B, Lee JJ, Pers TH, Turley P, Chen GB, Emilsson V, Oskarsson S, Pickrell JK, Thom K, Timshel P, Ahluwalia TS, Bacelis J, Baumbach C, Bjornsdottir G, Brandsma JH, Concas MP, Derringer J, Furlotte NA, Galesloot TE, Girotto G, Gupta R, Hall LM, Harris SE, Hofer E, Horikoshi M, Huffman JE, Kaasik K, Kalafati IP, Kong A, Lahti J, Lee SJD, Leeuw C, Lind PA, Lindgren KO, Liu T, Mangino M, Marten J, Mihailov E, Miller MB, Most PJD, Oldmeadow C, Payton A, Pervjakova N, Peyrot WJ, Qian Y, Raitakari O, Rueedi R, Salvi E, Schmidt B, Schraut KE, Shi J, Smith AV, Poot RA, Pourcain B, Teumer A, Thorleifsson G, Verweij N, Vuckovic D, Wellmann J, Westra HJ, Yang JY, Zhao W, Zhu ZH, Alizadeh BZ, Amin N, Bakshi A, Baumeister SE, Biino G, Bonnelykke K, Boyle PA, Campbell H, Cappuccio FP, Davies G, De Neve JE, Deloukas P, Demuth I, Ding J, Eibich P, Eisele L, Eklund N, Evans DM, Faul JD, Feitosa MF, Forstner AJ, Gandin I, Gunnarsson B, Halldorsson BV, Harris TB, Heath AC, Hocking LJ, Holliday EG, Homuth G, Horan MA, Hottenga JJ, Jager PL, Jugessur A, Kaakinen MA, Kahonen M, Kanoni S, Keltigangas-Jarvinen L, Kiemeney LALM, Kolcic I, Koskinen S, Kraja AT, Kroh M, Kutalik Z, Latvala A, Launer LJ, Lebreton MP, Levinson DF, Lichtenstein P, Lichtner P, Liewald DCM, Loukola A, Madden PA, Magi R, Maki-Opas T, Marioni RE, Marques-Vidal P, McMahon G, Meisinger C, Meitinger T, Milaneschi Y, Milani L, Montgomery GW, Myhre R, Nelson CP, Nyholt DR, Ollier WER, Palotie A, Paternoster L, Pedersen NL, Petrovic KE, Porteous DJ, Raikkonen K, Ring SM, Robino A, Rostapshova O, Rudan I, Rustichini A, Salomaa V, Sanders AR, Sarin AP, Schmidt H, Scott RJ, Smith BH, Smith JA, Staessen JA, Steinhagen-Thiessen E, Strauch K, Terracciano A, Tobin MD, Ulivi S, Vaccargiu S, Quaye L, Venturini C, Vinkhuyzen AAE, Volker U, Voelzke H, Vonk JM, Vozzi D, Waage J, Ware EB, Willemsen G, Attia JR, Bennett DA, Berger K, Bertram L, Bisgaard H, Boomsma DI, Borecki IB, Bultmann U, Chabris CF, Cucca F, Cusi D, Deary J, Dedoussis GV, Duijn CM, Eriksson JG, Franke B, Franke L, Gasparini P, Gejman PV, Gieger C, Grabe HJ, Gratten J, Gudnason V, Harst PD, Hayward C, Hinds DA, Hoffmann W, Hypponen E, Iacono WG, Jacobsson B, Jarvelin MR, Jockel KH, Kaprio J, Kardia SLR, Lehtimaki T, Lehrer SF, Magnusson PKE, Martin NG, Mcgue M, Metspalu A, Pendleton N, Penninx B, Perola M, Pirastu N, Pirastu M, Polasek O, Posthuma D, Power C, Province MA, Samani NJ, Schlessinger D, Schmidt R, Sorensen TIA, Spector TD, Stefansson K, Thorsteinsdottir U, Thurik AR, Timpson NJ, Tiemeier H, Tung JY, Uitterlinden AG, Vitart V, Vollenweider P, Weir DR, Wilson JF, Wright AF, Conley DC, Krueger RF, Smith GD, Laibson DI, Medland SE, Yang J, Johannesson M, Visscher PM, Esko T, Koellinger PD, Cesarini D, Benjamin DJ, Auton A, Boardman JD, Clark DW, Conlin A, Dolan CC, Fischbacher U, Groenen PJF, Harris KM, Hasler G, Hofman A, Ikram MA, Jain S, Karlsson R, Kessler RC, Kooyman M, MacKillop J, Mannikko M, Morcillo-Suarez C, McQueen MB, Schmidt KM, Smart MC, Sutter M, Thurik AR, Uitterlinden AG, White J, de Wit H, Yang J, Bertram L, Boomsma DI, Esko T, Fehr E, Hinds DA, Johannesson M, Kumari M, Laibson D, Magnusson PKE, Meyer MN, Navarro A, Palmer AA, Pers TH, Posthuma D, Schunk D, Stein MB, Svento R, Tiemeier H, Timmers PRHJ, Turley P, Ursano RJ, Wagner GG, Wilson JF, Gratten J, Lee JJ, Cesarini D, Benjamin DJ, Koellinger PD, Beauchamp JP, Cesarini D, Lee JJ, Koellinger PD, Benjamin DJ, Beauchamp JP, Gratten J
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Multivariate Genome-wide Association Analysis of a Cytokine Network Reveals Variants with Widespread Immune, Haematological, and Cardiometabolic Pleiotropy (2019)

American Journal of Human Genetics
Nath AP, Ritchie SC, Grinberg NF, Tang HH, Huang QQ, Teo SM, Ahola-Olli AV, Würtz P, Havulinna AS, Santalahti K, Pitkänen N, Lehtimäki T, Kähönen M, Lyytikäinen LP, Raitoharju E, Seppälä I, Sarin AP, Ripatti S, Palotie A, Perola M, Viikari JS, Jalkanen S, Maksimow M, Salmi M, Wallace C, Raitakari OT, Salomaa V, Abraham G, Kettunen J, Inouye M
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))