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

Sort by:

The association between lower educational attainment and depression owing to shared genetic effects? Results in ~25,000 subjects (2015)

Molecular Psychiatry
Peyrot WJ, Lee SH, Milaneschi Y, Abdellaoui A, Byrne EM, Esko T, de Geus EJ, Hemani G, Hottenga JJ, Kloiber S, Levinson DF, Lucae S, Martin NG, Medland SE, Metspalu A, Milani L, Noethen MM, Potash JB, Rietschel M, Rietveld CA, Ripke S, Shi J, Willemsen G, Zhu Z, Boomsma DI, Wray NR, Penninx BW
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Insulin and BMI as Predictors of Adult Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (2015)

Pediatrics
Matthew A. Sabin, Costan G. Magnussen, Markus Juonala, Julian P. H. Shield, Mika Kähönen, Terho Lehtimäki, Tapani Rönnemaa, Juha Koskinen, Britt-Marie Loo, Mikael Knip, Nina Hutri-Kähönen, Jorma S. A. Viikari, Terence Dwyer, Olli T. Raitakari
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

A novel common variant in DCST2 is associated with length in early life and height in adulthood (2015)

Human Molecular Genetics
van der Valk RJP, Kreiner-Moller E, Kooijman MN, Guxens M, Stergiakouli E, Saaf A, Bradfield JP, Geller F, Hayes MG, Cousminer DL, Korner A, Thiering E, Curtin JA, Myhre R, Huikari V, Joro R, Kerkhof M, Warrington NM, Pitkanen N, Ntalla I, Horikoshi M, Veijola R, Freathy RM, Teo YY, Barton SJ, Evans DM, Kemp JP, St Pourcain B, Ring SM, Smith GD, Bergstrom A, Kull I, Hakonarson H, Mentch FD, Bisgaard H, Chawes B, Stokholm J, Waage J, Eriksen P, Sevelsted A, Melbye M, van Duijn CM, Medina-Gomez C, Hofman A, de Jongste JC, Taal HR, Uitterlinden AG, Armstrong LL, Eriksson J, Palotie A, Bustamante M, Estivill X, Gonzalez JR, Llop S, Kiess W, Mahajan A, Flexeder C, Tiesler CMT, Murray CS, Simpson A, Magnus P, Sengpiel V, Hartikainen AL, Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi S, Lewin A, Alves ADC, Blakemore AI, Buxton JL, Kaakinen M, Rodriguez A, Sebert S, Vaarasmaki M, Lakka T, Lindi V, Gehring U, Postma DS, Ang W, Newnham JP, Lyytikainen LP, Pahkala K, Raitakari OT, Panoutsopoulou K, Zeggini E, Boomsma DI, Groen-Blokhuis M, Ilonen J, Franke L, Hirschhorn JN, Pers TH, Liang L, Huang J, Hocher B, Knip M, Saw SM, Holloway JW, Melen E, Grant SFA, Feenstra B, Lowe WL, Widen E, Sergeyev E, Grallert H, Custovic A, Jacobsson B, Jarvelin MR, Atalay M, Koppelman GH, Pennell CE, Niinikoski H, Dedoussis GV, Mccarthy MI, Frayling TM, Sunyer J, Timpson NJ, Rivadeneira F, Bonnelykke K, Jaddoe VWV
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution (2015)

Nature
Shungin D, Winkler TW, Croteau-Chonka DC, Ferreira T, Lockes AE, Magi R, Strawbridge RJ, Pers TH, Fischer K, Justice AE, Workalemahu T, Wu JMW, Buchkovich ML, Heard-Costa NL, Roman TS, Drong AW, Song C, Gustafsson S, Day FR, Esko T, Fall T, Kutalik Z, Luan JA, Randall JC, Scherag A, Vedantam S, Wood AR, Chen J, Fehrmann R, Karjalainen J, Kahali B, Liu CT, Schmidt EM, Absher D, Amin N, Anderson D, Beekman M, Bragg-Gresham JL, Buyske S, Demirkan A, Ehret GB, Feitosa MF, Goel A, Jackson AU, Johnson T, Kleber ME, Kristiansson K, Mangino M, Leach IM, Medina-Gomez C, Palmer CD, Pasko D, Pechlivaniss S, Peters MJ, Prokopenko I, Stancakova A, Sung YJ, Tanakam T, Teumer A, Van Vliet-Ostaptchouk JV, Yengo L, Zhang WH, Albrecht E, Arnlov J, Arscott GM, Bandinelli S, Barrett A, Bellis C, Bennett AJ, Berne C, Bluher M, Buhringer S, Bonnet F, Bottcher Y, Bruinenberg M, Carba DB, Caspersen IH, Clarke R, Daw EW, Deelen J, Deelman E, Delgado G, Doney ASF, Eklund N, Erdos MR, Estrada K, Eury E, Friedrichs N, Garcia ME, Giedraitis V, Gigante B, Go AS, Golay A, Grallert H, Grammer TB, Grassler J, Grewal J, Groves CJ, Haller T, Hallmans G, Hartman CA, Hassinen M, Hayward C, Heikkila K, Herzig KH, Helmer Q, Hillege HL, Holmen O, Hunt SC, Isaacs A, Ittermann T, James AL, Johansson I, Juliusdottir T, Kalafati IP, Kinnunen L, Koenig W, Kooner IK, Kratzer W, Lamina C, Leander K, Lee NR, Lichtner P, Lind L, Lindstrom J, Lobbens S, Lorentzon M, Mach F, Magnusson PKE, Mahajan A, McArdle WL, Menni C, Merger S, Mihailov E, Milani L, Mills R, Moayyeri A, Monda KL, Mooijaart SP, Muhleisen TW, Mulas A, Muller G, Muller-Nurasyid M, Nagaraja R, Nalls MA, Narisu N, Glorioso N, Nolte IM, Olden M, Rayner NW, Renstrom F, Ried JS, Robertson NR, Rose LM, Sanna S, Scharnagl H, Scholtens S, Sennblad B, Seufferlein T, Sitlani CM, Smith AV, Stirrups K, Stringhams HM, Sundstrom J, Swertz MA, Swift AJ, Syvanen AC, Tayo BO, Thorand B, Thorleifsson G, Tomaschitz A, Troffa C, van Oort FVA, Verweij N, Vonk JM, Waite LL, Wennauer R, Wilsgaard T, Wojczynski MK, Wong A, Zhang QY, Zhao JH, Brennan EP, Choi M, Eriksson P, Folkersen L, Franco-Cereceda A, Gharavi AG, Hedman AK, Hivert MF, Huang JY, Kanoni S, Karpe F, Keildson S, Kiryluk K, Liang LM, Lifton RP, Ma BS, McKnight AJ, McPherson R, Metspalu A, Min JL, Moffatt MF, Montgomery GW, Murabito JM, Nicholson G, Nyholt DR, Olsson C, Perry JRB, Reinmaa E, Salem RM, Sandholm N, Schadt EE, Scott R, Stolk L, Vallejo EE, Westra HJ, Zondervan KT, Amouyel P, Arveiler D, Bakker SJL, Beilby J, Bergman RN, Blangero J, Brown MJ, Burnier M, Campbell H, Chakravarti A, Chiness PS, Claudi-Boehmi S, Collins FS, Crawford DC, Danesh J, de Faire U, de Geusl EJC, Dorr M, Erbel R, Eriksson JG, Farrall M, Ferrannini E, Ferrieres J, Forouhi NG, Forrester T, Franco OH, Gansevoort RT, Gieger C, Gudnason V, Haiman CA, Harris TB, Hattersley AT, Heliovaara M, Hicks AA, Hingorani AD, Hoffmann W, Hofman A, Homuth G, Humphries SE, Hypponen E, Illig T, Jarvelin MR, Johansen B, Jousilahti P, Jula AM, Kaprio J, Kee F, Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi SM, Kooner JS, Kooperberg C, Kovacs P, Kraja AT, Kumari M, Kuulasmaa K, Kuusisto J, Lakka TA, Langenberg C, Le Marchand L, Lehtimaki T, Lyssenko V, Mannisto S, Marette A, Matise TC, McKenzie CA, McKnight B, Musk AW, Mohlenkamp S, Morris AD, Nelis M, Ohlsson C, Oldehinkel AJ, Ong KK, Palmer LJ, Penninx BW, Peters A, Pramstaller PP, Raitakari OT, Rankinen T, Rao DC, Rice TK, Ridker PM, Ritchie MD, Rudan I, Salomaa V, Samani NJ, Saramies J, Sarzynski MA, Schwarz PEH, Shuldiner AR, Staessen JA, Steinthorsdottir V, Stolk RP, Strauch K, Tonjes A, Tremblay A, Tremoli E, Vohl MC, Volker U, Vollenweider P, Wilson JF, Witteman JC, Adair LS, Bochud M, Boehm BO, Bornstein SR, Bouchard C, Cauchi S, Caulfield MJ, Chambers JC, Chasman DI, Cooper RS, Dedoussis G, Ferrucci L, Froguel P, Grabe HJ, Hamsten A, Hui JN, Hveem K, Jockel KH, Kivimaki M, Kuh D, Laakso M, Liu YM, Marz W, Munroe PB, Njolstad I, Oostra BA, Palmer CNA, Pedersen NL, Perola M, Perusse L, Peters U, Power C, Quertermous T, Rauramaa R, Rivadeneira F, Saaristo TE, Saleheen D, Sinisalo J, Slagboom PE, Snieder H, Spector TD, Thorsteinsdottir UR, Stumvoll M, Tuomilehto J, Uitterlinden AG, Uusitupa M, van der Harst P, Veronesi G, Walker M, Wareham NJ, Watkins H, Wichmann HE, Abecasis GR, Assimes TL, Berndt SI, Boehnkes M, Borecki IB, Deloukas P, Franke L, Frayling TM, Groop LC, Hunter DJ, Kaplan RC, O'Connell JR, Qi L, Schlessinger D, Strachan DP, Stefansson K, van Dujin CM, Willer CJ, Visscher PM, Yang J, Hirschhorn JN, Zillikens MC, McCarthy MI, Speliotes EK, North KE, Fox CS, Barroso I, Franks PW, Ingelsson E, Heid IM, Loos RJF, Cupples LA, Morris AP, Lindgren CM, Mohlke KL
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))