SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

The Puijo Symposium once again offers a high-quality and diverse scientific programme, featuring leading experts and distinguished speakers from across the field. The sessions will provide current insights, critical discussion, and practical perspectives, ensuring a stimulating and rewarding experience for participants.

The programme is currently published in part. Lectures with confirmed speakers are included at this stage, while some lecture titles and speaker details are still being finalised. The programme will be updated continuously as confirmations are completed. Please note that changes to lecture titles and speakers may still occur.

Tuesday, June 29

09:00 Registration

12:15 Opening ceremonies

Sessions on Tuesday:

WHAT IS INDIVIDUALIZED EXERCISE MEDICINE AND WHY DO WE RESPOND DIFFERENTLY TO THE SAME EXERCISE?

Chairperson Dr Heikki Pentikäinen, Finland

13:00 Precision exercise prescription: from population guidelines to personal coaching, To be confirmed

13:40 Unraveling non-responders: when exercise doesn’t work as expected, Prof. Robert Ross, Canada

14.20 Coffee break

GENE-LIFESTYLE INTERACTION

Chairperson Prof Timo Lakka, Finland

14.40 Epigenomics of exercise and other environmental factors in cardiometabolic disease, Prof Päivi Pajukanta, Finland

15.20 Genetic modifiers of exercise effects on adiposity and cardiometabolic risk, Prof Tuomas Kilpeläinen, Finland

Wednesday, June 30

Sessions on Wednesday:

DIGITAL BIOMARKERS OF CARDIOVASCULAR ADAPTATION: TOWARD PERSONALIZED EXERCISE MEDICINE

Chairperson Dr Pauli Ohukainen, Finland

08:30 Arterial stiffness and organ-specific aging as novel digital biomarkers, Dr Gary F Mitchell, USA

09:00 Exercise-induced vascular adaptation: from population trends to individualized responses, Prof Kevin Davy, USA

09:30 Bridging arterial hemodynamics and personalized exercise: insights from translational trials, Prof Barry McDonnell, UK

10:00 Coffee break

MOTIVATION AND ADHERENCE IN PERSONALIZED TRAINING

Chairperson Dr Harri Helajärvi, Finland

10:40 Motivation and adherence: a behavioral perspective in individualized training programs, Prof Keegan Knittle, Finland

11:20 Behavioral science meets exercise prescription, To be confirmed

12:00 Personalized exercise in action: boosting motivation for healthy aging, Prof Dawn Skelton, UK

12:30 Lunch break

PREVENTING FRAILTY IN OLDER ADULTS

Chairperson Dr Toni Rikkonen, Finland

13:30 Bone Fragility Prevention and Healthy Aging: Lifespan Approach, Prof Saija Kontulainen, USA

14:10 Cognitive frailty phenotype: the link from cerebral cortex to skeletal muscle mitochondria, Dr Massimo Venturelli, Italy

14:50 From fragility to resilience: exercise interventions for bone health and fracture prevention in older people, Prof Katherine Brooke-Wavell, UK

18:30 Poster session at Original Sokos Hotel Puijonsarvi

Thursday, July 1

Sessions on Thursday:

ENHANCING REHABILITATION OUTCOMES THROUGH INDIVIDUALIZED EXERCISE MEDICINE

Chairperson Dr Marja Äijö, Finland

08:30 Memory disorders, Dr Humberto Omana, Canada

09:00 Multiple sclerosis, Prof Kamila Rasova, Czech Republic

09:30 Clinical applications of individualized exercise medicine in cardiovascular diseases, To be confirmed

10:00 Coffee break

10:30 Frailty, Prof Hans Hobbelen, Netherlands

11:10 Cost-effectiveness in rehabilitation: evidence-based strategies and the role of Finnish Universities Network for Rehabilitation (Fire), Prof Arto Hautala, Finland

MARTTI J. KARVONEN YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD PRESENTATIONS

11:45 Finalist 1

12:00 Finalist 2

12:15 Finalist 3

12:30 Lunch break

RALPH S. PAFFENBARGER JR. ABSTRACT COMPETITION PRESENTATIONS

13:45 Finalist 1

14:00 Finalist 2

14:15 Finalist 3

14:30 PUIJO SYMPOSIUM 2027 HONORARY LECTURE

The future of individualized exercise medicine: integration into precision health

18:30 Summer Evening Gathering at Jätkänkämppä Lumberjacks' Lodge

For participants who have registered for the full package (including the evening event). Read more

Friday, July 2

Sessions on Friday:

METABOLIC DISEASES

Chairperson Dr Milla-Maria Tauriainen, Finland

08:30 Obesity and exercise – where are we? Can we tackle the obesity problem by exercise?, To be confirmed

09:10 Insulin resistance and diabetes – how can exercise help in prevention and treatment?, Prof. Jørgen Frank Pind Wojtaszewski

09:50 Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease and exercise – what is known for prevention and treatment?, Prof. John P. Thyfault

10:30 Coffee break

INDIVIDUALIZED EXERCISE MEDICINE IN YOUTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL HEALTH

Chairperson Prof Jarmo Jääskeläinen, Finland

11:00 Individualized exercise prescription in pediatric chronic conditions, Dr Eero Haapala, Finland

11:30 Supporting mental health in youth through personalized physical activity, To be confirmed

12:00 Growth, maturation and training load: individualized monitoring in youth athletes, To be confirmed