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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Parent-of-origin-specific allelic associations among 106 genomic loci for age at menarche (2014)

Nature
Perry JR, Day F, Elks CE, Sulem P, Thompson DJ, Ferreira T, He C, Chasman DI, Esko T, Thorleifsson G, Albrecht E, Ang WQ, Corre T, Cousminer DL, Feenstra B, Franceschini N, Ganna A, Johnson AD, Kjellqvist S, Lunetta KL, McMahon G, Nolte IM, Paternoster L, Porcu E, Smith AV, Stolk L, Teumer A, Tšernikova N, Tikkanen E, Ulivi S, Wagner EK, Amin N, Bierut LJ, Byrne EM, Hottenga JJ, Koller DL, Mangino M, Pers TH, Yerges-Armstrong LM, Hua Zhao J, Andrulis IL, Anton-Culver H, Atsma F, Bandinelli S, Beckmann MW, Benitez J, Blomqvist C, Bojesen SE, Bolla MK, Bonanni B, Brauch H, Brenner H, Buring JE, Chang-Claude J, Chanock S, Chen J, Chenevix-Trench G, Collée JM, Couch FJ, Couper D, Coviello AD, Cox A, Czene K, D'adamo AP, Davey Smith G, De Vivo I, Demerath EW, Dennis J, Devilee P, Dieffenbach AK, Dunning AM, Eiriksdottir G, Eriksson JG, Fasching PA, Ferrucci L, Flesch-Janys D, Flyger H, Foroud T, Franke L, Garcia ME, García-Closas M, Geller F, de Geus EE, Giles GG, Gudbjartsson DF, Gudnason V, Guénel P, Guo S, Hall P, Hamann U, Haring R, Hartman CA, Heath AC, Hofman A, Hooning MJ, Hopper JL, Hu FB, Hunter DJ, Karasik D, Kiel DP, Knight JA, Kosma VM, Kutalik Z, Lai S, Lambrechts D, Lindblom A, Mägi R, Magnusson PK, Mannermaa A, Martin NG, Masson G, McArdle PF, McArdle WL, Melbye M, Michailidou K, Mihailov E, Milani L, Milne RL, Nevanlinna H, Neven P, Nohr EA, Oldehinkel AJ, Oostra BA, Palotie A, Peacock M, Pedersen NL, Peterlongo P, Peto J, Pharoah PD, Postma DS, Pouta A, Pylkäs K, Radice P, Ring S, Rivadeneira F, Robino A, Rose LM, Rudolph A, Salomaa V, Sanna S, Schlessinger D, Schmidt MK, Southey MC, Sovio U, Stampfer MJ, Stöckl D, Storniolo AM, Timpson NJ, Tyrer J, Visser JA, Vollenweider P, Völzke H, Waeber G, Waldenberger M, Wallaschofski H, Wang Q, Willemsen G, Winqvist R, Wolffenbuttel BH, Wright MJ; Australian Ovarian Cancer Study; GENICA Network; kConFab; LifeLines Cohort Study; InterAct Consortium; Early Growth Genetics (EGG) Consortium, Boomsma DI, Econs MJ, Khaw KT, Loos RJ, McCarthy MI, Montgomery GW, Rice JP, Streeten EA, Thorsteinsdottir U, van Duijn CM, Alizadeh BZ, Bergmann S, Boerwinkle E, Boyd HA, Crisponi L, Gasparini P, Gieger C, Harris TB, Ingelsson E, Järvelin MR, Kraft P, Lawlor D, Metspalu A, Pennell CE, Ridker PM, Snieder H, Sørensen TI, Spector TD, Strachan DP, Uitterlinden AG, Wareham NJ, Widen E, Zygmunt M, Murray A, Easton DF, Stefansson K, Murabito JM, Ong KK, Cousminer DL, Stergiakouli E, Berry DJ, Ang W, Groen-Blokhuis MM, Körner A, Siitonen N, Ntalla I, Marinelli M, Perry JR, Kettunen J, Jansen R, Surakka I, Timpson NJ, Ring S, McMahon G, Power C, Wang C, Kähönen M, Viikari J, Lehtimäki T, Middeldorp CM, Hulshoff Pol HE, Neef M, Weise S, Pahkala K, Niinikoski H, Zeggini E, Panoutsopoulou K, Bustamante M, Penninx BW, Murabito J, Torrent M, Dedoussis GV, Kiess W, Boomsma DI, Pennell CE, Raitakari OT, Hyppönen E, Davey Smith G, Ripatti S, McCarthy MI, Widén E, Alizadeh BZ, de Boer RA, Boezen HM, Bruinenberg M, Franke L, van der Harst P, Hillege HL, van der Klauw MM, Navis G, Ormel J, Postma D, Rosmalen JG, Slaets JP, Snieder H, Stolk RP, Wolffenbuttel BH, Wijmenga C, Forouhi N, Kerrison ND, Langenberg C, Scott RA, Sharp SJ, Sims M, Barroso I, Deloukas P, McCarthy MI, Arriola L, Balkau B, Barricarte A, Boeing H, Franks PW, Gonzalez C, Grioni S, Kaaks R, Key TJ, Navarro C, Nilsson PM, Overvad K, Palli D, Panico S, Quirós J, Rolandsson O, Sacerdote C, Sánchez MJ, Slimani N, Tjonneland A, Tumino R, van der A DL, van der Schouw YT, Riboli E, Wareham NJ, Bowtell DD, Green A, Chenevix-Trench G, deFazio A, Gertig D, Webb PM, Brauch H, Justenhoven C, Hamann U, Ko YD, Baisch C, Fischer HP, Pesch B, Rabstein S, Spickenheuer A, Harth V, Aghmesheh M, Amor D, Andrews L, Antill Y, Armitage S, Arnold L, Balleine R, Bankier A, Bastick P, Beesley J, Beilby J, Bennett I, Bennett B, Berry G, Blackburn A, Bogwitz M, Brennan M, Brown M, Buckley M, Burgess M, Burke J, Butow P, Byron K, Callen D, Campbell I, Chauhan D, Chenevix-Trench G, Christian A, Clarke C, Colley A, Cotton D, Crook A, Cui J, Culling B, Cummings M, Dawson SJ, deFazio A, Delatycki M, Dickson R, Dixon J, Dobrovic A, Dudding T, Edkins T, Edwards S, Eisenbruch M, Farshid G, Fawcett S, Fellows A, Fenton G, Field M, Firgaira F, Flanagan J, Fleming J, Fong P, Forbes J, Fox S, French J, Friedlander M, Gaff C, Gardner M, Gattas M, George P, Giles G, Gill G, Goldblatt J, Greening S, Grist S, Eric H, Hardie K, Harris M, Hart S, Hayward N, Healey S, Heiniger L, Hopper J, Humphrey E, Hunt C, James P, Jenkins M, Jones A, Kefford R, Kidd A, Kiely B, Kirk J, Koehler J, Kollias J, Kovalenko S, Lakhani S, Leaming A, Leary J, Lim J, Lindeman G, Lipton L, Lobb L, Mann G, Marsh D, McLachlan SA, Meiser B, Meldrum C, Milne R, Mitchell G, Newman B, O'Connell S, O'Loughlin I, Osborne R, Pachter N, Patterson B, Peters L, Phillips K, Price M, Purser L, Reeve J, Reeve T, Richards R, Rickard E, Robinson B, Rudzki B, Saleh M, Salisbury E, Sambrook J, Saunders C, Saunus J, Sayer R, Scott E, Scott R, Scott C, Seshadri R, Sexton A, Sharma R, Shelling A, Simpson P, Southey M, Spurdle A, Suthers G, Sykes P, Taylor D, Taylor J, Thierry B, Thompson E, Thorne H, Townshend S, Trainer A, Tran L, Tucker K, Tyler J, Visvader J, Walker L, Walpole I, Waring P, Warner B, Warren G, Williams R, Wilson J, Winship I, Wu K, Young MA
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Genome-wide association study of sexual maturation in males and females highlights a role for body mass and menarche loci in male puberty (2014)

Human Molecular Genetics
Cousminer DL, Stergiakouli E, Berry DJ, Ang W, Groen-Blokhuis MM, Korner A, Siitonen N, Ntalla I, Marinelli M, Perry JRB, Kettunen J, Jansen R, Surakka I, Timpson NJ, Ring S, Mcmahon G, Power C, Wang C, Kahonen M, Viikari J, Lehtimaki T, Middeldorp CM, Pol HEH, Neef M, Weise S, Pahkala K, Niinikoski H, Zeggini E, Panoutsopoulou K, Bustamante M, Penninx BWJH, Murabito J, Torrent M, Dedoussis GV, Kiess W, Boomsma DI, Pennell CE, Raitakari OT, Hypponen E, Smith GD, Ripatti S, McCarthy MI, Widen E
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))