In Memoriam: Research Professor Maritta S. Jaakkola (9 March 1959 – 28 October 2024)
Professor Maritta Jaakkola was a pioneering figure in the field of pulmonary disease research, especially within environmental health, occupational health, and public health. Throughout her career, she published a total of 137 peer-reviewed scientific articles, earning international acclaim for her research on the aetiology and epidemiology of lung diseases.
Her career was notably international. Before joining the University of Oulu, she held research and specialist positions at several renowned universities and hospitals, including the University of Birmingham in England, Johns Hopkins University in the United States, The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, and McGill University in Canada.
Jaakkola’s research addressed issues such as occupational asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the effects of active and passive smoking on the respiratory health of young adults, and the role of environmental factors in the onset and progression of adult asthma. She also explored the influence of genetics on asthma development and the impact of physical exercise on asthma management and long-term outcomes. In recent years, her focus was particularly on studying the interplay between genetic and environmental factors in asthma onset.
During her career, Maritta Jaakkola received several prestigious research awards. One of her most distinguished international recognitions was the John M. Peters Award from the American Thoracic Society, awarded to her ”for outstanding contributions to environmental, occupational, or population health through leadership in research, education, and/or public health” in 2015. She was also honoured with the Silver Jubilee Award from the British Thoracic Society in 2007.
Maritta Jaakkola made a significant contribution to the research environment at the University of Oulu’s Faculty of Medicine. From 2005 onwards, she served as Professor of Pulmonary Medicine at the university and was instrumental in founding the Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research (CERH) with her spouse, Professor Jouni Jaakkola. Maritta served as CERH’s Deputy Director from 2009 to 2013.
Over the course of her life, Jaakkola supervised numerous doctoral and postgraduate students, and her contributions to education in public health and pulmonary medicine have been invaluable.
The passing of Maritta Jaakkola leaves a tremendous void in both the scientific community and among those whose lives she touched through her work and character. For her colleagues and students, her loss signifies the departure of a valued colleague, friend, teacher, and mentor.
We remember Maritta as a warm, compassionate, and positive person who was always willing to support and encourage those around her, especially young researchers. She was known as a colleague who generously shared her time and expertise and who upheld scientific integrity and responsibility in her work.
Her colleagues