Principal Investigator
Prof. Andrew Agbaje
Prof. Andrew Agbaje MD, MPH, PhD, FESC, FAHA, FNYAM, certified clinical research (Harvard), is an award-winning physician and professor (associate) of clinical epidemiology and child health who investigates the causal relationships of aerobic fitness, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, and metabolic syndrome with arterial, cardiac, liver, and kidney structure and function from childhood through young adulthood.
"Let's keep fighting for kids' health, because today's kids are tomorrow's adults
— Prof. Andrew Agbaje
Academic Achievements and Recognition
Academic
Academic excellence in a global context
CBS Boston
Childhood Tobacco Smoking Research
12-12-2024
Prof Agbaje discovered childhood tobacco smoking as a cause of premature cardiac damage and identified that smoking prevalence increased 15 times between the age of 13 to 17 years. This groundbreaking research revealed the devastating impact of early tobacco use on cardiovascular health in children. The findings highlight a critical public health concern with smoking rates dramatically increasing during adolescence. Watch the detailed presentation on YouTube.
BBC World News TV
Waist-to-height ratio to replace BMI for children
03-14-2024
Agbaje discovered arterial stiffness as a novel risk factor for paediatric obesity and insulin resistance, identified adolescence as the critical time to interrupt fat mass-insulin resistance pathologic cycle, and demonstrated light-intensity physical activity as a highly effective antidote for reversing excessive fat deposit induced by childhood sedentariness.
Recently, he discovered waist-to-height ratio as a specific surrogate for fat mass but not muscle mass that could replace BMI in assessing childhood obesity. Subsequently, he was interviewed LIVE on BBC World News TV to discuss the novel findings.
American Heart Association Recognition
World’s Most Significant Advances in Cardiovascular Research
December 2024
Prof. Agbaje’s study was selected as one of the world's most significant advances in cardiovascular research in 2024 by the American Heart Association.
Top publications
Clinical Medicine, Biology Biochemistry
As of September/October 2023
Two of Prof. Agbaje’s publications were placed in the Top 1% highly cited paper in the academic field of Clinical Medicine, while a third publication was placed in the Top 1% highly cited paper in the academic field of Biology & Biochemistry by Clarivate’s Web of Science.
Nature Communications, BBC
He has a first authored paper in JACC and Nature Communications . He was interviewed LIVE on BBC World Service Radio Newsday programme on 15th Dec 2023, BBC Radio Devon on 16th Jan 2024, and BBC World News LIVE TV programme on 14th March 2024.
The University of Eastern Finland
The University of Eastern Finland recently recorded a podcast interview of his latest findings as well as a video.
Endocrine Society & Magazine
The Endocrine Society in US, recently recorded a podcast interview of his research and discussed his research in the prestigious Endocrine Magazine March 2024 edition. He was invited to give a press conference at the ENDO 2024 congress in Boston, US.
European Association for the Study of Obesity
He was interviewed by the European Association for the Study of Obesity and subsequently had a video interview at the European Congress on Obesity .
Extensive press coverage
His research has received extensive press coverage, with over 2,000 media mentions in 2022 and 2023 in outlets such as BBC, CNN, The Telegraph, Daily Mail, Mirror, BILD, Infobae, Yahoo Lifestyle, Yahoo Sport, US News & World report, DocCheck, MSN, WebMD, Medscape, The Conversation, Jerusalem Post, Helsingin Sanomat, etc.
Global reach
Potential global audience of more than 4.5 billion. The equivalent advertising value of these news articles is more than 30 million US dollars.
Collaborations
He is the principal investigator of the urFIT-child research group and has strong collaboration with world-renowned pediatricians, exercise physiologists, epidemiologists, and adult clinicians in Canada, US, UK, Germany, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, etc.
Scientific Excellence Awards
He has received several scientific excellence awards including the prestigious EASO-Novo Nordisk Foundation for New Investigator Award in Childhood Obesity with a 300,000 Danish Kroner (€40,000 / 44,000 USD) prize.
Other awards
Other awards are the Endocrine Society Award for outstanding abstract, American Heart Association’s Elizabeth Barrett-Connor Research Award in Epidemiology and Prevention (once), Jeremiah and Rose Stamler Research Award (twice), and Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award (thrice).
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Scientific Statement
He co-authored an American Heart Association Scientific Statement on Environmental Exposures and Pediatric Cardiology, published in Circulation. He had a video discussion of the Scientific Statement. He was an invited guest speaker to the largest mother and child center in Canada – CHU Sainte-Justine Mother and Child University Hospital Center, Canada in March 2023 to speak on the determinants of carotid intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness in pediatrics.
Honorary Research Fellow
He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre (CHERC), Department of Public Health and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
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Editorial roles
He was recently appointed an Associate Editor in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and Muscle (JCSM). He serves on the editorial board of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology (ATVB), and mentors early-career editorial board members. He also serves on the editorial board of Pediatric Exercise Science journal.
Fellowships
He is an elected Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) and an elected Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA). These titles of honour, symbol of excellence and lifetime achievement recognizes his significant contribution to cardiovascular field in Europe and America.
Expert advisor
He is an expert advisor to the World Health Organization’s task force on preventing childhood obesity.
Awards and Honours
A Legacy of Excellence
O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
— Psalm 119:97–100
The research group urFIT-child and its principal investigator, Andrew Agbaje, have received recognition from numerous professional boards, academic institutions, and global media outlets.
Recent Awards & Recognition (2024)
American Heart Association's 2024 World's Most Significant Advances in Cardiovascular Research
American Heart Association Early Career Investigator Award for Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine Research 2024
Paul Dudley White International Scholar 2024 Award of the American Heart Association
EASO-Novo Nordisk Foundation New Investigator Award in Childhood Obesity
Journal of Human Hypertension Young Investigator Award in Hypertension Research
European Society of Cardiology Early Career Investigator Award 2024
European Society of Cardiology Top Reviewer Award 2024
London, UK
Endocrine Society Outstanding Abstract Award, ENDO 2024
Boston, US
British Society for Endocrinology Career Development Award
Cardiff, UK
Agbaje at ESC Congress, London 2024
Past Awards and Recognition
Elizabeth Barrett-Connor Research Award 2023, AHA Council on Epidemiology and Prevention
American Heart Association International Scholar Award 2023
Novo Nordisk Foundation Scientific Conference on Prevention of Childhood Obesity 2023
European Journal of Preventive Cardiology Reviewer of the Year 2022/2023
University of Eastern Finland Outstanding Communication Award 2022
European Society of Cardiology Fellowship Award 2022
American Heart Association International Scholar Award 2022
Jeremiah and Rose Stamler Research Award 2022, American Heart Association
American Heart Association International Scholar Award 2021
Jeremiah and Rose Stamler Research Award 2021, American Heart Association
Fellowships and Academic Positions
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Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland
March 2024
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle
The FNYAM title represents a community of distinguished professionals who have shown a high level of achievement, evidenced by strong performance in at least science or research.
The FAHA title is an honorific designation that recognizes scientific and professional accomplishments and contributions, volunteer leadership and service supporting the overall AHA mission: To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.
The FESC title honours individuals who have distinguished themselves in the cardiovascular field. A unique and prestigious title, recognising excellence and lifetime achievement.
Academic Achievements
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"And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm."
— Daniel 1:20 KJV
"Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation."
— Daniel 5:12 KJV
"Agbaje is an active science communicator who is not afraid to challenge conventional views when doing so is backed up by his research. Agbaje remembers to always highlight the practical relevance of his research to both health care and the wider society. From the viewpoint of communications professionals, Agbaje is an ideal collaborator: he always reserves enough time for honing the text, and he is skilled at visualising even complex entities."
— University of Eastern Finland
Graduation Clip
"To God be the glory", shouts Agbaje as he accepts the degree
Editorial and Journal Roles
Editor / Reviewer
Scientific Journal Stewardship
Shaping Scientific Publishing Excellence
Associate Editor
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and Muscle
- High-impact medical journal
- Associate Editor role
- Focus on muscle and metabolism research
Editorial Board
Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology
- Leading cardiovascular journal
- Editorial Board member
- Focus on vascular biology
Editorial Board
Paediatric Exercise Science
- Editorial Board Member
- Statistics and Grants Reviewer
- Focus on youth exercise research
Journal Reviewer
Regular reviewer for leading journals in cardiovascular medicine, pediatrics, and exercise science. Over 210 completed manuscript reviews as of November 2024 in 47 journals.
Top-tier Medical Journals
• European Heart Journal
• Journal of the American College of Cardiology
• Annals of Internal Medicine
• Diabetes Care
• Circulation Research
Endocrinology & Metabolism
• The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
• Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental
• Journal of the Endocrine Society
• Obesity Reviews
• Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and Muscle
• Digestive Diseases and Sciences
• International Journal of Obesity
Pediatrics
• Pediatrics
• Archives of Disease in Childhood
• Pediatric Exercise Science
• Acta Pediatrica
• Pediatric Cardiology
• BMC Pediatrics
• Frontiers in Pediatrics
• Journal of Adolescent Health
Sport and Exercise Medicine
• Sports Medicine
• Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
• Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
• European Journal of Sports Science
• Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging
• Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
Grant & Abstract Review
• Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research
• National Institute for Health and Care Research, UK
• European Society of Cardiology Congress Abstract Reviewer
Medicine / Epidemiology
• BMC Medicine
• BMJ Open
• PLOS One
• BMJ Open Respiratory Research
• Clinical Epidemiology
• Annals of Epidemiology
• Annals of Medicine
• SAGE Open Medicine
Cardiovascular Research
• Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology
• Arteriosclerosis
• Hypertension
• European Journal of Preventive Cardiology
• Atherosclerosis
• Journal of Hypertension
• Vascular Medicine
• High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention
• Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases
• Journal of the American Heart Association
• Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine
Academic Affiliations
International Research Networks
Transforming global health through research partnerships
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University of Eastern Finland
UndeRstanding FITness and Cardiometabolic Health In Little Darlings (urFIT-child)
Research Institution
Leading research institution in Finland, known for its strong focus on health sciences and interdisciplinary research approaches.
Research Project
Leading research on children's fitness and cardiometabolic health, investigating the relationships between physical activity, fitness, and health outcomes in young populations.
Impact & Innovation
Pioneering new methodologies in childhood health research, with findings published in top-tier journals and implemented in health policies.
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Research Institution
One of the UK's leading research universities, particularly renowned for its longitudinal studies and health research.
Research Study
A world-leading birth cohort study, following 14,500 families in the Bristol area since the early 1990s, providing invaluable insights into health and development.
Global Impact
ALSPAC data has contributed to over 3,000 published papers, shaping our understanding of health, development, and environmental influences.
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Research Institution
A Russell Group university recognized for its excellence in sports science and health research, consistently ranked among the top universities globally.
Research Center
A leading research center dedicated to understanding physical activity, health, and well-being in children and adolescents, with a focus on exercise science and health outcomes.
Research Excellence
CHERC's innovative research has influenced international physical activity guidelines and shaped understanding of youth fitness and health.
Memberships in Scientific Societies
American & International
• American Heart Association (AHA), Dallas, US
• American Physiological Society (APS), US
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Indianapolis, US
• North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine (NASPEM), Canada/US
• International Epidemiology Association (IEA), US
• Endocrine Society, US
• International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA), Sweden
European Memberships
• European Society of Cardiology (ESC), France
• European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS), Sweden
• Association for Research into Arterial Structure and Physiology (Artery Society), UK
• European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), France
• European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO), UK
Finnish Memberships
• Finnish Epidemiology Society (FES), Finland
• Finnish Association for the Study of Obesity (FASO), Finland
• Tampere Society for Associate Professors, Finland