Mika Gissler

Mika Gissler is a Research Professor at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), with concurrent part-time affiliations at Karolinska Institutet, University of Turku, and the Nordic School of Public Health. He is also an Adjunct Professor in Public Health at the University of Oulu. His work centers on leveraging Finland’s robust national health registers for epidemiological research and policy development.

• Doctor of Philosophy, Epidemiology, University of Tampere (1999)
• Master of Social Sciences, Statistics, University of Helsinki (1992)
• Master of Social Sciences, Economics, University of Helsinki (1989)

His research interests include register-based research, international health statistics, perinatal and child health epidemiology, and health and welfare indicators. He emphasizes ethical data use and privacy in large-scale register studies. His work integrates medical, nursing, and statistical expertise to inform clinical guidelines and public health policy.

With over 800 peer-reviewed publications, his research spans national birth cohorts, reproductive outcomes, drug safety in pregnancy, and Nordic health surveillance. His publications reflect strong international collaboration and influence in public health research.

• Representative, Finland – DG SANTE Expert Group on Health Information
• Representative, Finland – EUROSTAT Technical Group for Morbidity Statistics
• Representative, Finland – OECD Health Care Quality Indicators
• Delegation Leader – NOMESCO (Nordic Medico-statistical Committee)
• Contact person – OECD Health Data and WHO Health for All databases

Gissler has led and coordinated numerous grants and international projects, including Finnish Birth Cohorts (1987, 1997), CoNARTAS, NOSS, Nordic Maternal Mortality Study, EUROlinkCAT, RECAP, INPRESS, and NORPRESS. He plays a key role in promoting the use of THL’s register data in research and fostering secure international data access.

He is involved in multiple research teams and committees focused on Nordic and European health data harmonization and surveillance. His leadership in biobank research and register linkage continues to advance the use of population-level data for scientific and policy impact.