Miia Kivipelto, MD, PhD

Miia Kivipelto

Rodman Family Endowed Professor of Gerontology

Director of YSN Center for Aging Well

Email: Miia.Kivipelto@yale.edu

About

Miia Kivipelto, MD, PhD, is the Rodman Family Endowed Professor of Gerontology at Yale School of Nursing and a Professor of Gerontology at Yale School of Medicine. Outside of Yale, Dr. Kivipelto is a Professor in Clinical Geriatrics at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and has a combined position as a senior Geriatrician and Director of Research, Development, Education and Innovation at Medical Unit Aging Karolinska University Hospital. Part of her Nordic Brain Network (NBN) research team is in Finland (University of Eastern Finland and Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare) and Imperial College London, UK, where she has a part time position as Professor. Her frontline research findings have been published in leading journals (510+ publications, H-index 96) and she has received numerous prestigious national and international awards.

At Yale School of Nursing, Dr. Kivipelto is the inaugural Director of the Center for Aging Well where she leads a team of faculty towards her shared vision to increase the span of wellness and make it inevitable.

Research Interests

Dr. Kivipelto’s translational research focuses on prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of cognitive impairment, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other agin-related disorders. Through epidemiological studies, Dr. Kivipelto has identified various modifiable lifestyle and vascular risk factors for dementia, identified interactions with genetic factors, and clarified underlying mechanisms. She has developed the first tool for predicting dementia risk based on midlife risk profiles (CAIDE risk score). This is still one of the few validated risk scores in the field and is in clinical use.

Dr. Kivipelto is the primary investigator of the landmark Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) Randomized Controlled Trial, which is the first large-scale trial showing that a multi-domain, lifestyle-based intervention can reduce the risk of cognitive and functional impairment among at-risk persons from the general population. Cognitive decline is no longer an inevitable consequence of aging but can be prevented with multidomain interventions. Dr. Kivipelto has launched the World-Wide FINGERS network with over 70 countries: a unique interdisciplinary network to share experiences, harmonize data, and plan joint international initiatives for the prevention of cognitive impairment and dementia. She is also founder of the FINGERS Brain Health Institute, aiming to find novel solutions to promote brain health, prevent cognitive impairment and dementia, and implement research findings.

Dr. Kivipelto has also contributed to the understanding of biological mechanisms underlying dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, including novel biomarker research. Dr. Kivipelto’s work has a global reach; she leads several international consortia and is often invited to the leading global dementia and medical conferences and task forces, including the G8 Dementia Summits, OECD Mapping for big data, the WHO ministerial meeting in global actions against dementia, the WHO dementia risk reduction guidelines working group, and the Neurology and COVID-19 Global Forum.

Selected Publications

  1. Soldevila-Domenech N, Ayala-Garcia A, Barbera M, … Kivipelto M, et al. Adherence and intensity in multimodal lifestyle-based interventions for cognitive decline prevention: state-of-the-art and future directions. Alz Res Therapy. 2025;17(1):61. doi:10.1186/s13195-025-01691-0
  2. Saarela L, Lehtisalo J, Ngandu T, … Kivipelto M, et al. Effects of multidomain lifestyle intervention on frailty among older men and women – a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Annals of Medicine. 2025;57(1):2446699. doi:10.1080/07853890.2024.2446699
  3. Ponvel P, Shahar S, Singh DKA, … Kivipelto M, et al. The cost effectiveness of a multidomain intervention on physical, cognitive, vascular, dietary and psychosocial outcomes among community dwelling older adults with cognitive frailty in Malaysia: The AGELESS Trial. Alz Res Therapy. 2025;17(1):101. doi:10.1186/s13195-025-01722-w
  4. Matton A, Stephen R, Daniilidou M, … & Kivipelto M. Mechanisms of interventions targeting modifiable factors for dementia risk reduction. Mol Neurodegeneration. 2025;20(1):75. doi:10.1186/s13024-025-00845-w
  5. Lorenzon G, Marseglia A, Mohanty R, … Kivipelto M, et al. Brain patterns and risk factors in the FINGER RCT multimodal lifestyle intervention. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease. Published online 2025:100390.
  6. Baker LD, Espeland MA, Whitmer RA, … Kivipelto M, et al. Structured vs self-guided multidomain lifestyle interventions for global cognitive function: the US POINTER randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2025;334(8):681-691.
  7. Barbera, M., Lehtisalo, J., Perera, D., Aspö, M., Cross, M., De Jager Loots, C. A., Falaschetti, E., Friel, N., Luchsinger, J. A., Gavelin, H. M., Peltonen, M., Price, G., Neely, A. S., Thunborg, C., Tuomilehto, J., Mangialasche, F., Middleton, L., Ngandu, T., Solomon, A., … & Kivipelto, M. MET-FINGER study team. (2024). A multimodal precision-prevention approach combining lifestyle intervention with metformin repurposing to prevent cognitive impairment and disability: The MET-FINGER randomised controlled trial protocol. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, 16(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-023-01355-x. IF: 8.9.
  8. Ngandu, T., Lehtisalo, J., Korkki, S., Solomon, A., Coley, N., Antikainen, R., Bäckman, L., Hänninen, T., Lindström, J., Laatikainen, T., Paajanen, T., Havulinna, S., Peltonen, M., Neely, A. S., Strandberg, T., Tuomilehto, J., Soininen, H., & Kivipelto, M. (2022). The effect of adherence on cognition in a multidomain lifestyle intervention (FINGER). Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 18(7), 1325–1334. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12492. IF: 17.1.
  9. Lehtisalo, J., Rusanen, M., Solomon, A., Antikainen, R., Laatikainen, T., Peltonen, M., Strandberg, T., Tuomilehto, J., Soininen, H., Kivipelto, M., & Ngandu, T. (2022). Effect of a multi-domain lifestyle intervention on cardiovascular risk in older people: The FINGER trial. European Heart Journal, 43(21), 2054–2061. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehab922. IF: 37.
  10. Rosenberg, A., Öhlund-Wistbacka, U., Hall, A., Bonnard, A., Hagman, G., Rydén, M., Thunborg, C., Wiggenraad, F., Sandebring-Matton, A., Solomon, A., & Kivipelto, M. (2022). β-Amyloid, Tau, Neurodegeneration Classification and Eligibility for Anti-amyloid Treatment in a Memory Clinic Population. Neurology, 99(19), e2102–e2113. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000201043. IF: 10.1.
  11. Kivipelto, M., Mangialasche, F., Snyder, H. M., Allegri, R., Andrieu, S., Arai, H., Baker, L., Belleville, S., Brodaty, H., Brucki, S. M., Calandri, I., Caramelli, P., Chen, C., Chertkow, H., Chew, E., Choi, S. H., Chowdhary, N., Crivelli, L., Torre, R. D. L., … Carrillo, M. C. (2020). World-Wide FINGERS Network: A global approach to risk reduction and prevention of dementia. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 16(7), 1078–1094. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12123. IF: 17.1.
  12. Sindi, S., Kåreholt, I., Johansson, L., Skoog, J., Sjöberg, L., Wang, H.-X., Johansson, B., Fratiglioni, L., Soininen, H., Solomon, A., Skoog, I., & Kivipelto, M. (2018). Sleep disturbances and dementia risk: A multicenter study. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 14(10), 1235–1242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2018.05.012. IF: 17.1.
  13. Solomon, A., Turunen, H., Ngandu, T., Peltonen, M., Levälahti, E., Helisalmi, S., Antikainen, R., Bäckman, L., Hänninen, T., Jula, A., Laatikainen, T., Lehtisalo, J., Lindström, J., Paajanen, T., Pajala, S., Stigsdotter-Neely, A., Strandberg, T., Tuomilehto, J., Soininen, H., & Kivipelto, M. (2018). Effect of the Apolipoprotein E Genotype on Cognitive Change During a Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention: A Subgroup Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurology, 75(4), 462–470. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.4365. IF: 13.6.
  14. Soininen, H., Solomon, A., Visser, P. J., Hendrix, S. B., Blennow, K., Kivipelto, M., & Hartmann, T. (2017). 24-month intervention with a specific multinutrient in people with prodromal Alzheimer’s disease (LipiDiDiet): A randomised, double-blind, controlled trial. The Lancet. Neurology, 16(12), 965–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30332-0. IF: 30.0.
  15. Ngandu, T., Lehtisalo, J., Solomon, A., Levälahti, E., Ahtiluoto, S., Antikainen, R., Bäckman, L., Hänninen, T., Jula, A., Laatikainen, T., Lindström, J., Mangialasche, F., Paajanen, T., Pajala, S., Peltonen, M., Rauramaa, R., Stigsdotter-Neely, A., Strandberg, T., Tuomilehto, J., … Kivipelto, M. (2015). A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): A randomised controlled trial. Lancet (London, England), 385(9984), 2255–2263. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60461-5. IF: 60.4.
  16. Kivipelto, M., Ngandu, T., Laatikainen, T., Winblad, B., Soininen, H., & Tuomilehto, J. (2006). Risk score for the prediction of dementia risk in 20 years among middle aged people: A longitudinal, population-based study. The Lancet. Neurology, 5(9), 735–741. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(06)70537-3. IF: 30.0.
  17. Kivipelto, M., Helkala, E. L., Laakso, M. P., Hänninen, T., Hallikainen, M., Alhainen, K., Soininen, H., Tuomilehto, J., & Nissinen, A. (2001). Midlife vascular risk factors and Alzheimer’s disease in later life: Longitudinal, population based study. BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 322(7300), 1447–1451. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.322.7300.1447. Impact factor (IF): 27.6.

Areas of Interest

Cognitive impairment, Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, Aging Well, Gerontology, Neurology