Maarit Laaksonen

Associate Professor Maarit Laaksonen is a biostatistician with 20 years of international experience in epidemiology and public health research. She is affiliated with the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Medicine and Health. Her research focuses on developing and applying disease burden measures to inform cancer prevention and public health strategies.

Laaksonen holds a Cancer Institute NSW Career Development Fellowship and leads studies on cancer burden determinants. Her expertise includes analyzing large health datasets to evaluate risk factors like lifestyle, environment, and genetics across diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and mental health conditions.

Her work emphasizes quantitative methods in epidemiology, including risk assessment and statistical research design. Recent publications highlight studies on colorectal cancer risk, obesity-related thyroid cancer prevention, and the impact of smoking on lung cancer burden in Australia.

• Grants: Cancer Institute NSW Career Development Fellowship (2021), World Cancer Research Fund Support (2023).
• Key collaborations: Australian cohorts' pooled studies, Norwegian Women and Cancer study.

Laaksonen's research bridges statistical rigor with real-world health policy, aiming to reduce preventable disease burdens through evidence-based interventions.