Juha Pekkanen
Official title: Research Professor
Tel. +358 29 524 6368
E-mail: juha.pekkanen(at)helsinki.fi
Indoor air problems are a big topic in Finland. I bring research-based evidence to this discussion – I do research on factors affecting perceived indoor air quality and symptoms. I am centrally involved in implementing the Finnish Indoor Air and Health Programme 2018–2028 coordinated by THL. I want to put a lot of effort into that.
My main research interests are the health effects of moisture damage in homes and schools, the harmful and beneficial effects of microbes in the indoor air, and risk factors for asthma and allergies. THL team in Kuopio has become an internationally recognized centre on environmental microbes.
Our projects aim at preventing asthma and allergies and indoor air problems. We have also developed a questionnaire for schools about indoor air problems.
In research, new DNA-based determination methods for microbes are interesting. We also want to understand factors other than indoor air pollutants that affect symptoms
Expertise
- Public health, especially effects of environmental exposures
- Indoor environment and welfare
- Environmental microbes
- Asthma, allergies
- Risk assessment
Primary duties
The Finnish Indoor Air and Health Programme 2018–2028
Education
1984, MD, University of Helsinki
Professional background
Since 2014: Professor, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki
