Pekka Nuorti

Pekka Nuorti, MD, PhD is Professor of epidemiology and the Director of the International Doctoral Programme in Epidemiology and Public Health (IPPE) in the Health Sciences Unit. 

His expertise and research interests include epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases, outbreak investigations, epidemiologic methods, evaluating prevention program impact, registry-based studies, developing evidence-based public health policy, and research training and capacity building.

epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases

vaccine-preventable diseases

evaluating prevention program impact

developing evidence-based public health policy

outbreak investigation and response

epidemiologic methods

registry-based studies

researcher training and capacity building

global health

Current positions: Professor of epidemiology and Director of the International Doctoral Program in Epidemiology in the Health Sciences Unit, Tampere University. Part-time Chief Physician with the Department of Health Security, Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in Helsinki.

Before joining the faculty at Tampere University, he worked at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA. where his roles in research leadership and vaccine policy-development included serving as the CDC lead staff for the Pneumococcal Vaccines Workgroup of the Federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), U.S. National Surveillance of pneumococcal disease, and collaborating with academic investigators in designing and implementing a novel research agenda to evaluate the public health impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination program in the United States.

His professional experience in epidemiology, public health practice and global health includes Communicable Disease Control and Childhood Immunization Programs with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Western Pacific Region, the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) of the CDC and Preventive Medicine Residency at the California State Department of Health. At the Finnish National Public Health Institute his responsibilities have included a wide range of communicable disease surveillance, prevention and outbreak response activities.

His research fields and expertise include epidemiology and prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases, evaluating prevention program impact, outbreak investigation and response, registry-based studies and developing evidence-based public health policy. His expertise in surveillance and epidemiology of vaccine-preventable diseases, immunization policy and global public health research training and capacity building is internationally recognized. He have served in several international scientific advisory boards, review panels and committees, including the CDC, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and WHO.

Google Scholar:  

Selected publications:  

1. Wu W, Liu D, Nuorti JP, Li K, Xu D, Ye J, Zheng J, Cao L, Wang H. Deaths reported to national surveillance for adverse events following immunization in China, 2010-2015. Vaccine. 2019;37(9):1182-7. 

2. Polkowska A, Skoczyńska A, Paradowska-Stankiewicz I, Stefanoff P, Hryniewicz W, Kuch A, Lyytikäinen O, Nuorti JP. Pneumococcal meningitis before the introduction of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine into the National Childhood Immunization Program in Poland. Vaccine. 2019;37(10):1365-73. 

3. Omore R, Khagayi S, Ogwel B, Onkoba R, Ochieng JB, Juma J, Munga S, Tabu C, Kibet S, Nuorti JP, Odhiambo F, Mwenda JM, Breiman RF, Parashar UD, Tate JE. Rates of hospitalization and death for all-cause and rotavirus acute gastroenteritis before rotavirus vaccine introduction in Kenya, 2010-2013. BMC Infect Dis. 2019;19(1):47-. 

4. Francis MR, Nuorti JP, Kompithra RZ, Larson H, Balraj V, Kang G, Mohan VR. Vaccination coverage and factors associated with routine childhood vaccination uptake in rural Vellore, southern India, 2017. Vaccine. 2019;37(23):3078-87. 

5. Räisänen PE, Soini H, Turtiainen P, Vasankari T, Ruutu P, Nuorti JP, Lyytikäinen O. Enhanced surveillance for tuberculosis among foreign-born persons, Finland, 2014-2016. BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):610-. 

6. Polkowska A, Räsänen S, Al-Hello H, Bojang M, Lyytikäinen O, Nuorti JP, Jalava K. An outbreak of Norovirus infections associated with recreational lake water in Western Finland, 2014. Epidemiol Infect. 2018;146(5):544-50. 

7. Okasha O, Rinta-Kokko H, Palmu AA, Ruokokoski E, Jokinen J, Nuorti JP. Population-level impact of infant 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination on adult pneumonia hospitalisations in Finland. Thorax. 2018;73(3):262-9. 

8. Libwea JN, Kobela M, Ndombo PK, Syrjänen RK, Huhtala H, Fointama N, Koulla-Shiro S, Nohynek H, Nuorti JP, Palmu AA. The prevalence of otitis media in 2-3 year old Cameroonian children estimated by tympanometry. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2018;115:181-7. 

9. Francis MR, Nohynek H, Larson H, Balraj V, Mohan VR, Kang G, Nuorti JP. Factors associated with routine childhood vaccine uptake and reasons for non-vaccination in India: 1998-2008. Vaccine. 2018;36(44):6559-66. 

10. Wu W, Liu D, Li K, Nuorti JP, Nohynek HM, Xu D, Ye J, Zheng J, Wang H. Post-marketing safety surveillance for inactivated and live-attenuated Japanese encephalitis vaccines in China, 2008-2013. Vaccine. 2017;35(29):3666-71. 

11. Polkowska A, Toropainen M, Ollgren J, Lyytikäinen O, Nuorti JP. Bacterial meningitis in Finland, 1995-2014: a population-based observational study. BMJ Open. 2017;7(5):e015080-e. 

12. Vo TH, Okasha O, Al-Hello H, Polkowska A, Räsänen S, Bojang M, Nuorti JP, Jalava K. An Outbreak of Norovirus Infections Among Lunch Customers at a Restaurant, Tampere, Finland, 2015. Food Environ Virol. 2016;8(3):174-9. 

13. Räisänen PE, Soini H, Vasankari T, Smit PW, Nuorti JP, Ollgren J, Ruutu P, Lyytikäinen O. Tuberculosis in immigrants in Finland, 1995-2013. Epidemiol Infect. 2016;144(2):425-33. 

14. Omore R, Tate JE, O'Reilly CE, Ayers T, Williamson J, Moke F, Schilling KA, Awuor AO, Jaron P, Ochieng JB, Oundo J, Parashar UD, Parsons MB, Bopp CC, Nasrin D, Farag TH, Kotloff KL, Nataro JP, Panchalingam S, Levine MM, Laserson KF, Nuorti JP, Mintz ED, Breiman RF. Epidemiology, Seasonality and Factors Associated with Rotavirus Infection among Children with Moderate-to-Severe Diarrhea in Rural Western Kenya, 2008-2012: The Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS). PLoS One. 2016;11(8):e0160060-e. 

15. Omore R, Osawa F, Musia J, Rha B, Ismail A, Kiulia NM, Moke F, Vulule J, Wainaina AM, Tole J, Machoki SM, Nuorti JP, Breiman RF, Parashar UD, Montgomery JM, Tate JE. Intussusception Cases Among Children Admitted to Referral Hospitals in Kenya, 2002-2013: Implications for Monitoring Postlicensure Safety of Rotavirus Vaccines in Africa. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2016;5(4):465-9. 

16. Dugee O, Janchiv O, Jousilahti P, Sakhiya A, Palam E, Nuorti JP, Peltonen M. Adapting existing diabetes risk scores for an Asian population: a risk score for detecting undiagnosed diabetes in the Mongolian population. BMC Public Health. 2015;15:938-. 

17. Vo TH, Nguyen DV, Le LTK, Phan LT, Nuorti JP, Tran Minh NN. Applying standard epidemiological methods for investigating foodborne disease outbreak in resource-poor settings: lessons from Vietnam. J Food Prot. 2014;77(7):1229-31. 

18. Vo TH, Le NH, Cao TTD, Nuorti JP, Minh NNT. An outbreak of food-borne salmonellosis linked to a bread takeaway shop in Ben Tre City, Vietnam. Int J Infect Dis. 2014;26:128-31. 

19. Vo TH, Le NH, Nuorti JP, Phan LT, Tran Minh NN. A cluster of cholera among patients in a Vietnamese district hospital in 2010. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2013;7(12):910-3. 

You can find my publications in SoleGris.