Ari Haukkala Memorial Symposium

The University of Helsinki organises a memorial symposium to honor Dr Ari Haukkala, who was one of the leading health social psychology researchers in Finland. The event is open to anyone interested in Ari's academic work.

Ari passed away on the 19th of February due to a brain tumour. He worked for two decades at the University of Helsinki, after writing his dissertation at the National Public Health Institute. He was one of the leading health social psychology researchers in Finland, paving the way for many novel lines of research in Finland, and raising generations of social psychologists and researchers.

This memorial symposium will give an overview of each of Ari’s multiple areas of research related to social and health psychology. Colleagues, past PhD students, and collaborators from multiple disciplines will present their memories of collaborating with Ari, and sketch the impacts of his research endeavours on the past and future of these fields of scientific inquiry.

This event will be arranged online and focus on Ari’s scientific contributions. Anyone interested in Ari's work is warmly welcome to the memorial symposium.

Later, a separate face-to-face memorial event will be arranged, with drinks and socialising opportunities. The date and location will be announced later

Programme

Wednesday, 13th of October, 2021

Time: 12.15-15.30 (EEST, UTC+3, Helsinki time zone).

Location: Zoom (no pre-registration needed)

You can also copy and paste the link from here: https://helsinki.zoom.us/j/69800865227

The symposium will be recorded and will be made available online later.

Welcoming words

  • Dean, Professor Marjaana Seppänen

Memories by colleagues - early years:

  • National Public Health Institute, Finland - Research Professor Erkki Vartiainen & Research Professor Antti Uutela
  • Social psychology Unit (UH), Professor, discipline head Inga Jasinskaja-Lahti

Overview of the talks: Timeline of Ari’s work spanning three decades

Psychosocial factors, eating behaviour and chronic diseases

  • Dr Hanna Konttinen
  • Commentary: Professor Emeritus Eero Lahelma

Smoking prevention

  • Hanna Ollila
  • Commentary: Professor Emeritus, former MP Pekka Puska

Public understanding of genomics

  • Dr Marleena Vornanen
  • Commentary: Research Professor Helena Kääriäinen

*Photos of Ari with music*

Break 14.00-14.15

Digital interventions for behaviour change

  • Assistant Professor Keegan Knittle

Impulse-focused interventions for healthy eating

  • Dr Matthias Aulbach
  • Commentary: Professor Mikael Fogelholm

Reducing socioeconomic health inequalities: The case of Let’s Move It

  • Professor Nelli Hankonen

Ari’s contribution to international (social) health psychology and behavioural medicine

  •   Professor, President elect Wendy Hardeman, European Health Psychology Society

Memories by colleagues:

  • VTE Doctoral School, VTE director, Professor Karri Silventoinen
  • Collegium of Advanced Studies, director, Professor Tuomas Forsberg

End of the official program around 15.30, after which participants are invited to stay online and share their memories of Ari.

Warm welcome!