SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Juha Sinisalo, Risto Kaaja, Mikael Fogelholm, Tiina Laatikainen, Matti Rautalahti and Pilvikki Absetz.
ORGANISING COMMITTEE
Juha Sinisalo, Risto Kaaja, Mikael Fogelholm, Tiina Laatikainen, Matti Rautalahti, Pilvikki Absetz, Petri Manninen, Mikko Mikkola, Minna Kainulainen and Katja Mansikkaniemi
SPEAKERS
MIKAEL EKBLAD
Mikael Ekblad is an Assistant Professor of General Practice at the University of Turku, Finland. He serves as Chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Tobacco-Free Finland 2030 organization. Dr. Ekblad’s research focuses on the effects of prenatal exposure to smoking on maternal and child health, and he has delivered numerous presentations on smoking and pregnancy both in Finland and internationally. He is also a member of the Current Care guideline working group, appointed by the Finnish Medical Association Duodecim and the Finnish General Medical Association, contributing to national guidelines on the prevention and treatment of tobacco and nicotine addiction.ULF EKELUND
Ekelund is professor in Sports Medicine with a special focus on Physical Activity and Population Health at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. He is co-directing the Oslo Research Centre for Physical Activity and Population Health (ORC-PAPH) and directing a WHO collaborating Centre on physical activity and population health. Ekelund currently serve as work package leader on a EU funded Horizon 2023 project on obesity prevention (OBCT). He served on the executive committee for the 2012, 2016, and 2021 Lancet series on physical activity and global health. Ekelund is currently leading an International Adult Accelerometer consortium examining the detailed dose-response associations between device-measured physical activity and sedentary time with health outcomes. Ekelund served on the 2020 WHO expert committee for developing new global recommendations for physical activity and sedentary behaviours. Ekelund has published more than 500 peer-reviewed papers including landmark papers in The Lancet, The BMJ and JAMA.
MIKAEL FOGELHOLM
EERO HAAPALA
Dr. Haapala is a Senior Researcher focussing on children’s physical activity and health at Preventive Health Research Unit, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences. He also holds a Research Director position at the Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland. His main interest is in the relationships between physical activity, fitness, dietary factors, cardiovascular and metabolic health, brain health, and mental health among children and adolescents. He was also a member of the Current Care guideline for physical activity and the Finnish Physical Activity Guidelines for Young Children working groups.SASKIA KELDERS
Saskia Kelders is Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, Health and Technology at the University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands and extraordinary professor at Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus in South Africa. She chairs the ‘engaging eHealth Technology lab’ at the University of Twente which focuses on improving development, evaluation and implementation of digital health interventions. Her work combines technological and psychological perspectives and is multidisciplinary in nature. Currently, she works on her personal ERC Starting grant on engagement as a mechanism of impact for digital mental health interventions. In this innovative new research line, she uses new-to-field and challenging research methods (e.g. single case experimental design, realist evaluation, personalized and adaptive interventions). She is also editor of a new eHealth handbook with contributions from many influential (inter)national scholars.MIKA KIVIMÄKI
Professor Mika Kivimaki, FMedSci, is an epidemiologist at University College London (UCL), UK and University of Helsinki, Finland.He leads the prestigious Whitehall II study, an on-going epidemiological cohort study of 10,000 British men and women, and several research consortia, including the IPD-Work consortium of 17 European cohort studies.
His studies have been used as evidence for a number of prevention guidelines and policy documents. Kivimaki is an ISI Highly Cited Researcher.
JOHANNA KUUSISTO
Johanna Kuusisto, MD, PhD Professor of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
Current position: Professor of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland; Chief Physician of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital since February 2014; Chair of the Department of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland 2022–
• Specialist in Internal Medicine, National Board of Health, Helsinki, 1991
• Research training: Visiting Scientist, Seattle, University of Washington, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, March 1, 1993 – February 28, 1994 (studies on aortic stenosis)
• Ph.D., University of Kuopio, 1996, thesis: “Risk factors for non-insulin-dependent diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke in elderly subjects”
• Docent of Internal Medicine, University of Kuopio, 1996
• Specialist in Cardiology, University of Kuopio, 1997
Reserach on cardiovascular disease, particularly atherosclerotic vasscular disease and cardiomyopathies
• Published original articles in high-impact peer review journals by December 2025: 341
• 53 reviews/editorials/commentaries/book chapters, 2 case reports
HANNELE LAIVUORI
Hannele Laivuori MD, PhD, is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, a physician-in-chief at the Tampere University Hospital, and an adjunct professor in Medical Genetics at the University of Helsinki, Finland. She has earned specialist degrees in obstetrics and gynecology and in clinical genetics. She led a working group of National Current Care Guideline ”Hypertension in Pregnancy and Pre-eclampsia” in 2020-2021 and served as a president of the Finnish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2022-2023.She is a vice chair of the scientific Council for Biosciences, Health and the Environment in the Research Council of Finland.
Prof. Laivuori leads a team investigating the association between hypertensive pregnancy disorders and cardiometabolic disorders using genetic, clinical and registry data. Genetic studies are conducted within both disorder-specific cohorts containing extensive clinical information and very large population level datasets.
Prof. Laivuori leads a team investigating the association between hypertensive pregnancy disorders and cardiometabolic disorders using genetic, clinical and registry data. Genetic studies are conducted within both disorder-specific cohorts containing extensive clinical information and very large population level datasets.
ULF LANDMESSER
Professor Ulf Landmesser acts since January 2023 as Deputy Medical Director and as Director of the Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin at the Deutsche Herzzentrum der Charité (DHZC) and since June 2022 also as the Director of the newly established Friede Springer – Cardiovascular Prevention Center@Charité.
After his medical studies at the Medical School of Hannover (Germany), the University of Connecticut in Farmington (USA) and the National Heart&Lung Institute in London (UK), he specialized in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the Medical School of Hannover. In 2000/2001 he performed a post-doctoral fellowship focusing on vascular biology at the Department of Cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (USA).
In 2007, he was called as Senior Consultant Cardiologist with a focus on acute and interventional cardiology and as director of translational cardiovascular research to the Department of Cardiology at the University Hospital of Zurich (Switzerland), where he later acted as Vice-Chairman of the Department of Cardiology. From 2014 until the merger with Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin on 01.01.2023 he acted as Chairman of the Department of Cardiology at the Charité as well as from 2016 on as Medical Director of the Charité Center for Cardiovascular Medicine.
Since 2008 Professor Landmesser serves as Deputy Editor of the European Heart Journal.
He has a particular research interest in translational and clinical development of novel therapeutic and management strategies for prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
He has a particular research interest in translational and clinical development of novel therapeutic and management strategies for prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
He has more than 800 publications and an h-index of 107. He has contributed to several ESC/ EAS guidelines and EAS consensus papers.
ELVIIRA LEHTO
Elviira Lehto is an Associate Professor (Docent) of Food Behavior and previously earned her PhD in Public Health. She work as a researcher at the University of Helsinki in both the Department of Food and Nutrition and the Department of Social Psychology.Her research focuses on the factors that influence eating behavior at both societal and individual levels - for example, the role of attitudes, values, socioeconomic position, and the food environment in shaping dietary choices. She is particularly interested in the barriers to adopting healthy and environmentally sustainable eating habits, and how these barriers can be addressed through various interventions. At the moment, in the LoCard project, She is examining how the use of a mobile application affects indicators derived from grocery purchase data. In the Leg4Life project, she study how an individuals’ values and perceived barriers are associated with the use of plant-based protein products.
VIVIANA MAESTRINI
Viviana Maestrini is an Associate Professor of Cardiology at Sapienza University of Rome, where she completed her medical training. She spent the final year of her cardiology residency at University College London, and subsequently pursued a PhD awarded by Sapienza under joint supervision.Since 2014, she has been a consultant cardiologist at the Institute of Sport Medicine and Science of the Italian National Olympic Committee, where she leads the cardiovascular magnetic resonance program for athletes. In 2024, she was appointed as a representative of the Research Committee.
Her clinical and research activities focus on multimodality imaging and sports cardiology, particularly on the prevention of sudden cardiac death and early diagnosis of cardiomyopathies. She is the past chair of the Working Group of Sport Cardiology within the Italian Society of Cardiology and is an active member of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC).
MARIA MARKETOU
Professor Maria Marketou is a cardiologist and faculty member at the University of Crete School of Medicine, Heraklion, Greece. Her clinical and research interests focus on cardiovascular prevention, hypertension, heart failure, and the cardiometabolic impacts of environmental and lifestyle factors. She has led and co-authored multiple national and international collaborative projects. She is a member of Hypertension Council of ESC, member of the section of PCRFM of EAPC and member of ESC Digital Health & AI Committee. Professor Marketou is co mmitted to translating emerging evidence into practical strategies for clinicians, with a strong emphasis on primary care, equity, and patient-centered prevention. She regularly contributes to peer‑reviewed journals, serves as a reviewer and educator, and participates in the development of educational programs and consensus documents for cardiovascular health.
JANNE MARTIKAINEN
Professor Janne Martikainen, PhD, is an expert in health economics and outcomes research with over 20 years of experience. His work focuses on the economic aspects of preventive strategies for cardiometabolic, renal, and memory disorders. Using multidisciplinary methods, prediction through simulation models, and novel data sources such as omics and real-world data, his research evaluates cost-effectiveness and health-related productivity impacts to guide healthcare decision-making and influence policy toward sustainable and prevention-oriented health systems.MICHELLE MORRIS
Michelle Morris is Professor of Data Science for Food at the University of Leeds, UK, with a background spanning Nutrition and Data analytics. She leads the interdisciplinary Nutrition and Lifestyle Analytics team which uses novel forms of data, including supermarket transaction records from a number of UK supermarkets, for research into lifestyle behaviours and health. She leads the Food Retail Environment Research for Sustainable and Healthier Diets (FRESH) programme which has evaluated a variety of supermarket interventions. As investigator at the UKRI funded UK Transforming Food Systems grants FIO Food and DIO Food, Michelle has worked to investigate the interplay of health, environmental sustainability in purchase patterns and to evaluate landmark legislation to restrict where products high in fat sugar and salt can be placed in store.
Michelle is Deputy Director of the Smart Data Research UK funded Healthy and Sustainable Places Data Service.
TEEMU NIIRANEN
Teemu Niiranen, MD, PhD, is a physician-scientist whose research on hypertension and cardiovascular disease in large population cohorts has led to >300 peer-reviewed publications. After finishing his PhD and clinical training, Dr. Niiranen received in-depth training in cardiovascular disease epidemiology and omics during a post-doctoral period at the Framingham Heart Study. In 2020, he became a professor of medicine at the University of Turku, Finland. Dr. Niiranen has received young investigator awards from the American and Finnish Societies of Hypertension, and the American Heart Association. He is a past chair of the Finnish Hypertension Society, the current chair of the Finnish Hypertension Guidelines, and a co-author of the European Society of Hypertension 2023 Hypertension Guidelines.
PIA PAJUNEN
Pia Pajunen earned her medical degree at the University of Helsinki, specialising in Public Health. After completing her PhD in Cardiology, she worked for The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Her research on the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes earned her the title of docent in Public Health at the University of Helsinki.Pia Pajunen is currently working as a medical advisor at Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. There, she combines work on drug reimbursements with research in collaboration with the Research Unit of Kela. Her areas of expertise and specific interest lie in issues related to the use and accessibility of new medications, such as GLP-1-agonists, in the context of the Finnish social security system.
KIRSI PIETILÄINEN
MD, PhD
Professor Kirsi Pietiläinen is a specialist in internal medicine with more than 30 years’ experience in obesity research. She is Professor of Clinical Metabolism at the University of Helsinki, where she leads the Obesity Research Unit, and she serves as Chief Physician at the Healthy Weight Hub at Helsinki University Hospital.
Nationally, she chairs the Finnish Obesity Treatment Guidelines and the Finnish Association for Obesity Doctors. She has published >280 articles on obesity. She is a strong advocate for compassionate, evidence-based, and stigma-free obesity care.
Nationally, she chairs the Finnish Obesity Treatment Guidelines and the Finnish Association for Obesity Doctors. She has published >280 articles on obesity. She is a strong advocate for compassionate, evidence-based, and stigma-free obesity care.
PEKKA PUSKA
MD, PhD, MPolScDirector General, National Public Health Institute (KTL); 2004-08
Director General, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL); 2009-13
Director, NCD Prevention and Health Promotion, WHO, Geneva; 2001-03
President, World Heart Federation; 2009-11
President, Int Ass National Public Health Institutes; 2009-12
Chair, Governing Council of IARC; 2011-13
Chancellor, University of Turku 2010-13
Member of Parliament; 1987-91, 2016-19
Director, North Karelia Project
VEIKKO SALOMAA
Veikko Salomaa graduated as MD in 1976, became a specialist in internal medicine in 1984 and received his PhD in 1988 from the University of Helsinki, Finland. Soon after that he worked for two years as a visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Most of his career he has worked in several leading positions at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), since 2005 as a Research Professor and since 2017 as an emeritus Professor.His research has focused on the epidemiology and prevention of cardiovascular diseases and on assessment of the roles of novel biomarkers and various “omics” in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. He is an author of over 900 scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals. His work has been cited over 250 000 times and has an h-index of 215 (Google Scholar, as of Feb 08, 2026).
TIMO STRANDBERG
Timo Strandberg is MD, PhD and Professor of Geriatrics (emeritus) from the University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital. Hi is specialist in internal medicine and geriatrics and his research activities are in cardiovascular prevention and geriatrics.BERT-JAN VAN DEN BORN
Bert-Jan van den Born is Professor of Internal Medicine at Amsterdam University Medical Centres and Clinical Lead of the Healthy Life in an Urban Setting (HELIUS) study, a large multi-ethnic population-based cohort in Amsterdam. He teaches at the Faculty of Medicine and is actively involved in the training of medical students and residents in Internal and Vascular Medicine. His research focuses on understanding ethnic differences in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and their underlying biological and social determinants. He has contributed to several clinical guidelines and has helped shape the cardiovascular prevention agenda for migrant populations in collaboration with the Dutch Heart Foundation. He co-leads DIVERSE-CVD, a Dutch Heart Foundation–funded consortium aimed at increasing diversity in cardiovascular research and is involved in initiatives that leverage data from diverse migrant populations across the life course to study the drivers of health inequalities.MARK VAN GILS
Mark van Gils is Professor of Digital Healthcare, leading the research group Decision Support for Health at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology at Tampere University in Finland. He is also Adjunct Professor at Aalto University. Activities in his over 25-year career in health data analysis have ranged from AI-driven patient monitoring in critical care to preventive and behavioral change approaches during daily living. He has special interest and experience in addressing real-life challenges such as dealing with imperfect data, heterogeneous data, and trustworthiness assessment of decision support applications. Mark shares his experience with tomorrow’s professionals in courses such as Decision Support in Healthcare and Behavioral Health Informatics at Tampere and Aalto university. He has worked tightly with renowned hospitals and health tech companies, and he has extensive experience in leading roles, including coordination, in multi-disciplinary international research consortia, such as in EU projects.