7 November, 2024
Authors: Giovanni Viegi, Isabella Annesi-Maesano, Ane Johannessen
Professor Maritta Sylvia Jaakkola née Keso passed away on October 28, 2024, at the age of 65 years. She leaves behind her husband Jouni.
Professor Maritta Jaakkola, one of the longest-standing members and most influential scientists in ERS Assembly 6 (Epidemiology and Occupation, now Epidemiology and Environment), was born and raised in Helsinki, Finland, and received her medical education at Helsinki University. She got a Diploma in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, Canada, and a Ph.D. (in Respiratory Epidemiology), Depts of Pulmonary Medicine and Public Health, University of Helsinki. She also became Specialist in Respiratory Medicine both in Finland and UK.
She started her academic career in Helsinki, Finland, as Registrar, Consultant, and Chief Physician in Respiratory Medicine. Then, from 2005 onwards she worked as Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Oulu. She also spent two long periods abroad: from 1997 to 2000 at the Department of Epidemiology, The Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; and from 2003 to 2008 at the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Birmingham, and at the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
Here are some highlights of her scientific research: assessment of the health effects of passive smoking, including the first evaluation of the global burden published in The Lancet 2011; development of the theory of exposure assessment (European Respiratory Journal, 1997); application of the concept of interaction of smoking and atopy already in 1991 (European Respiratory Journal, 1991); assessment of the effects of dampness and mold problems in the etiology of asthma (Environmental Health Perspectives, 2002) and lung function decline in asthmatics and health; characterisation of ACOS and its environmental determinants; air pollution, greenness and loss of biodiversity as determinants of respiratory health, in particular for development of asthma and allergies (Environmental Research 2024, Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2024, Environmental Health Perspectives 2024).
She had a tremendous publication track in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including in The Lancet, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, ERJ, American Journal of Epidemiology, Environmental Health Perspectives and many others.
As a long-standing ERS member, for as long as her health conditions enabled her to, she always contributed to the programmes and activities led by Assembly 6 – and participated in the ERS Congress. Not to mention the chapter ‘Jaakkola MS. Environmental tobacco smoke and respiratory diseases in Respiratory Epidemiology in Europe. Eds. Annesi-Maesano I, Gulsvik A, Viegi G. ERS Monograph, 2000, 15, 322-383’ and the article ‘M. Simoni, M.S. Jaakkola, L. Carrozzi, S. Baldacci, F. Di Pede, G. Viegi. Indoor air pollution and respiratory health in the elderly; European Respiratory Journal 2003; 21: Suppl. 40, 15s–20s’, which was included in the Supplement dedicated to the workshop on ’Air Pollution Effects in the Elderly’, held in Pisa, 12–14 March, 2001 as part of the AFORDEE (in Anticipation of Focus On Respiratory Disease in the European Elderly) initiative, one of the first ERS activities funded by the European Union.
She has supervised a large number of PhD students in Finland, UK and the USA.
In 2015, Professor Maritta Jaakkola became the only non-American scholar to date to receive the John M Peters Award, a lifetime achievement award given by the ATS Assembly on Environmental, Occupational and Population Health for outstanding contributions to environmental, occupational, or population health through leadership in research, education, and/or public health.
Professor Maritta Jaakkola was fully dedicated to science until just a few days before her passing. A distinguished and esteemed scientist, she made significant contributions to public health research, particularly in respiratory health and its prevention. She was an inspiring research leader, a gifted educator, a highly collaborative member of ERS and a gentle, compassionate person.
Maritta was an exceptional woman, a brilliant scientist, a devoted wife, and a dear friend to many of us: she will be deeply missed by the entire ERS community.