Finland’s First Adjunct Professorship in Disaster Medicine Established at the University of Oulu
The appointment reflects a growing need to strengthen research and education on extreme weather events, natural hazards, and their health impacts. The relevance of this field has increased rapidly due to the ongoing global climate change.
Extreme temperatures as a major health risk
Mortality associated with extreme temperatures has not declined at the same rate as mortality from many other types of natural hazards, underscoring the importance of improved forecasting, preparedness, and readiness.
Temperature-related mortality represents a substantial global burden. A large multicountry study covering 750 cities (published in 2021) estimated that approximately 9% of all deaths in the world are associated with non-optimal ambient temperatures. Another multinational study (2021) estimated that, on average, 37% of heat-related mortality can be attributed to anthropogenic climate change.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, extreme temperatures are among the leading causes of death associated with weather‑ and climate‑related disasters. In Europe, they account for around 93 per cent of all deaths from weather‑ and climate‑related disasters.
During the 2003 European heatwave, more than 70,000 excess deaths were recorded. In summer 2022, an estimated 62,000 heat-related deaths occurred in Europe. While preparedness and adaptation measures have reduced heat-related mortality compared with scenarios without such measures, Europe continues to experience major heatwave events associated with very high mortality. Mortality linked to cold temperatures also remains high globally.
Preparedness in Finland
Disaster medicine is becoming increasingly important because global changes are outpacing the adaptive capacity of our systems. Interoperability between actors, technologies, information systems and data infrastructures is still evolving, while new complex threats continue to emerge. Extreme weather events and large-scale disruptions are not confined to distant regions – they also affect Finland. We need to strengthen research, develop better impact-based forecasting methods and foster effective collaboration between healthcare providers, public authorities and technology developers,” Ryti emphasizes.
He serves as an expert in a Ministry of Social Affairs and Health working group tasked with preparing a national action plan to prevent the health impacts of heat.
Broad clinical and system-level experience
Ryti has a comprehensive clinical and academic background. He graduated in medicine in 2015 and completed his doctoral degree (PhD) at the University of Oulu in 2018. He holds the title of Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Helsinki (2023).
He is a specialist in anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine (2023) and in public health medicine (2025). His clinical experience includes work at HUS Helsinki University Hospital (HUS), in a joint physician-staffed prehospital emergency unit operated by HUS and the Helsinki City Rescue Department, and in emergency departments in different parts of Finland.
He has also gained international experience in the trauma unit of Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in South Africa, as well as in prehospital emergency care roles in Johannesburg and Durban.
Ryti has served as Chief Physician for the City of Helsinki and as Chief Physician and Chief Development Physician for the Vantaa and Kerava Wellbeing Services County. He has also contributed to healthcare digitalisation, mathematical modelling, and system-level development in collaboration with major technology and consulting firms. In addition, he has acted as an expert for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in the preparation of national RDI (research, development and innovation) framework.
Research at the international forefront
For over a decade, Ryti has been active at the forefront of international environmental epidemiology. He represents Finland in the Multi-Country Multi-City Collaborative Research Network, the largest global research consortium in this field.
His publication record includes more than 70 peer-reviewed articles in leading international journals in medicine and climate science, with several studies receiving international recognition. He collaborates with scientists from over 50 countries, and his work has contributed to climate and health policy development and has been used in international assessment processes, including those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
An adjunct professorship is an academic title awarded by a university in recognition of advanced scientific expertise and scholarly merit. It requires a doctoral degree, a substantial publication record, and demonstrated teaching competence.
Niilo Ryti's researcher profile