Andrew Agbaje

Andrew Agbaje is an Associate Professor (Clinical Epidemiology and Child Health) and Senior Researcher at the University of Eastern Finland’s Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition. He holds affiliations as an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter’s Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre and serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and Muscle. His research focuses on pediatric cardiovascular health, particularly the interplay between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and metabolic/cardiac outcomes in children and adolescents.

Education includes MD from the University of Benin, MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Eastern Finland (summa cum laude), and a PhD. He has received prestigious awards such as the Flemming Quaade Award (€67k) and EASO-NNF Award (€40k).

Research interests emphasize arterial stiffness as a novel risk factor, pediatric obesity metrics (e.g., waist-to-height ratio replacing BMI), and the longitudinal effects of lifestyle factors on cardiovascular health. Over 2,000 media mentions in outlets like BBC and CNN highlight his work’s global impact.

Key achievements include discovering childhood smoking’s link to cardiac damage and demonstrating light physical activity’s role in mitigating sedentary effects. He leads the urFIT-child research group and collaborates internationally with institutions in Canada, the US, Germany, and Saudi Arabia.

Grants and awards include over €100k in prize money and multiple editorial roles. His work spans 240+ peer reviews and contributions to American Heart Association scientific statements.

Labs/teams include the urFIT-child group and collaborations with the Artery Society, European Society of Cardiology, and WHO obesity task forces. Future focuses include expanding longitudinal studies and advocating for pediatric cardiovascular policy changes.