Miia Kivipelto, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Clinical Geriatric Epidemiology at Karolinska Institute
Deputy Head of the Aging Research Center
Stockholm, Sweden
Miia’s research focuses on prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Through epidemiological studies, she has identified midlife vascular and lifestyle risk factors for later dementia/AD and aims to build on these observations to improve knowledge transfer and public awareness and to design intervention trials to mitigate these factors, including lifestyle manipulations, such as exercise interventions. Miia is principal investigator for the population-based study Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia (CAIDE) and the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER), one of the first multi-domain intervention studies in the world aimed at preventing or postponing dementia. She is also part of Europe’s first-ever European Dementia Prevention Initiative (EDPI).
Miia leads a group of multidisciplinary researchers that includes 4 postdocs and 9 doctoral students. Her group has close connections with the University of Eastern Finland and the National Institute of Health and Welfare in Helsinki, and this collaboration has led to the development of the Nordic Brain Network (NBN), which has increased the utilization and exchange of resources and information about aging. She is also involved in many international networks and scientific/steering committees. Miia has received several awards, including Junior Chamber International: Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World 2011; Academy of Finland Award for Social Impact 2009; The Association of European Psychiatrists and European Bristol-Myers Squibb Prevention Award in Psychiatry 2007; and Martti Hämäläinen’s Award for Young Researcher 2002.