Research

Research Priorities: Oral, maxillofacial illnesses, bacterial illnesses, candidiasis, oral microbiology, and systemic health

Jukka H. Meurman is a Finnish physician and dentist whose research focuses on oral, maxillofacial diseases and systemic health. He has contributed significantly to a more profound understanding of oral and dental bacterial infections as well as of fungal infections.

Jukka H. Meurman and his team have focused primarily on the question as to how oral and dental infections can affect morbidity risk and mortality in people with chronic illnesses. The research group working with Meurman, has in randomised, controlled clinical studies also showed that probiotic bacteria can contribute to making both high-risk areas of oral medicine more manageable – tooth decay in children and fungal infections in the elderly and the immunocompromised.

The role of oral infections in systemic illnesses has been a topic of discussion and research since the 1980s. A three-decade long-term study initiated by Jukka H. Meurman pursued the research question: Are periodontitis and a full loss of teeth associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and increased mortality? They found that edentulousness was strongly correlated with higher mortality, especially due to coronary heart disease.

In addition, periodontitis was found to be associated with increased burden of disease, either due to a transition of the bacterial infection to other structures or indirectly via systemic infection. There is a well-established correlation between periodontitis and high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and also with malignancies and dementia. The common pathological cause is the low-grade chronic infection which stems from the persistent oral and dental infections. As a result, inflammatory mediators such as cytokines exacerbate the infection and can lead, e.g., to atherosclerotic vascular changes or malignant cellular transformations.

Jukka H. Meurman’s research has been documented in a wide range of publications and contributions to textbooks. The scientist has made significant contributions to public health on both a European and global level.

Career

• Professor Emeritus of Oral Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
• Head Physician, Department for Oral and Maxillofacial Illnesses, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
• Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Eastern Finland (UEF), Kuopio, Finland
• Deputy Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
• 2010 Visiting Professor, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden
• 2007 Adjunct Professor, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1992-1996 Professor of Dentistry, University of Eastern Finland (UEF), Kuopio, Finland
• 1990 PhD in Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
• 1989-1990 Visiting Professor, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
• 1986-1987 Professor of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
• 1986 Specialisation in Clinical Dentistry (Cariology and Endodontology), Finnish Department of Health, Finland
• 1980 MD, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
• 1977 PhD in Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
• 1972 Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)

Functions

• Academic Assessor for research and education, Universities of Dresden, Germany, Geneva and Basel, Switzerland, Oslo, Norway, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Turku, Finland, Seoul, South Korea, and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
• Assessor for Norwegian Research Council, Initiative for Science in Europe, European Food Safety Authority
• President, International Association for Dental Research
• Member and Chairperson, Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, Finland
• President, Council of Finnish Academies, Finland
• Member, Board, Inter-Academies Partnership and Advisory Committee for Basic Sciences and Sustainable Health

Projects

• since 2017 Principal Investigator, Project “Liver transplant patient and oral health”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
• since 2015 Manager, Project “Oral health and radiology in autoinflammatory diseases”, Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venereology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
• since 2015 Participating Scientist, Project “Rhinosinusitis risk prediction”, Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venereology, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
• since 1999 Principal Investigator, Project “Kidney diseases and oral health”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
• since 1995 Principal, Investigator, Project “Probiotics and oral health”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
• since 1992 Principal Investigator, Project “Oral infections and systemic Health”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Honours and Memberships

• since 2012 Member ad hominis, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, UK
• 2009 Honorary Doctorate, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 2007 Honorary Doctorate, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
• 2005 Geriatric Oral Research Award, International Association for Dental Research (IADR)
• since 2005 Member, German National Academy of Sciences, Germany
• 2004 Honorary Doctorate, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France
• 1991 La Grande Médaille de la Ville de Paris, silver level, Paris, France
• Knight, Order of the White Rose of Finland (FWR), Finland
• Commander, Order of the Lion of Finland (FL), Finland