7.4.2025 Enhancing Warfighter Readiness through Lifestyle and Performance Medicine

Summit day 1  – April 7th, 2025

Photos from the event. Feel free to use. Photographer: Juho Haavisto

Location: Riihimäki, Finland

Hosted by: Centre for Military Medicine (FDF) and City of Riihimäki in collaboration with University of Helsinki, DEFINE and Metabite

Address: DEFINE Innovation hub, Pohjoinen Asemakatu 5, 11130 Riihimäki

DEFINE Innovation Hub is  located next to the Riihimäki railway station (200 m), so we kindly recommend to arrive by train. There are only a few parking spaces available in the yard of the event venue (Veturitallit parking lot) and more free of charge parking space in the Peltosaari parking area. From the Peltosaari parking lot, there is an underpass to railway station, Veturitallit & DEFINE hub (5 min walk).

Agenda

11:00 AM Registration and Lunch

12:00 PM Opening Remarks

• Ilkka Laaksi, LtCol (MC), MD, PhD, Head of the Centre For Military Medicine, FDF
• Teemu Seppälä, Technology & Innovation director, City of Riihimäki
• Päivi Sillanaukee, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
• Dr./Colonel Chelsey Payne, USAF, MC, FS, Director, International Health Specialist Program

12:30 PM Keynote Presentations

• Introduction – The Importance of Innovation and Interoperability for Lifestyle and Performance Medicine
  – Dr. Regan Stiegmann, LPM LAB/Rocky Vista University (RVUCOM)
• Lifestyle and Performance Medicine for the Next Generation of Military Health Care Professionals
  – Dr. Kevin S. Puri, D.O. Capt, MC, USAF
• Implementation of Lifestyle and Performance Medicine in NATO countries
  –  Dr. Chelsea Payne MD, MPH, Colonel, MC, USAF
• Lithuania: Lifestyle & Performance Medicine in NATO
  – Dr. Tomas Vaiciunas – Vilnius University Medical School

This session will discuss the critical role of Lifestyle and Performance Medicine in enhancing US/NATO military readiness, resilience, and overall eff ectiveness. Emphasis will be placed on how adopting evidence-based approaches to nutrition, physical fi tness, mental health, and sleep can signifi cantly improve both individual and unit performance.

2:00 PM Coffee break

2:30 PM Presentations continue: Insights from Lithuania & the UK

• Case example: Lithuanian Leaders in Lifestyle and Performance Medicine
  – Dr Darius Kubilius, Vilnus University
• Flagship Performance – Lifestyle Medicine at Sea – Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Nathaniel Roocroft, Royal Navy (UK)

3:10 PM FinNutriForce intervention – novel approach to defence performance and public health

• Speakers: Prof. Kristiina Patja, MD, PhD, University of Helsinki and LtCol (MC) Ilkka Laaksi, MD, PhD, FDF

*short break*

4:00 PM Panel Discussion

• Scaling Lifestyle and Performance Medicine Using the Latest Evidence-Based Approaches and Technology

Intro for the panel

A doctor, an economist and a footballer walk into a bar – what defence performance can learn from sport and behavioural economics – Dr Jodie Blackadder-Weinstein, Wg Cdr, Royal Air Force

Panelists

• Dr. Regan Stiegmann (Panel chair),
• Dr./Colonel Chelsea Payne (US Air Force)
• Dr./Capt Lt (MC) Richard Lundell, MD, PhD, Assoc Prof, The Centre for Military Medicine, FDF
• Prof. Kristiina Patja, MD, PhD, University of Helsinki
• Mr. Michael Quarshie, CEO and co-founder Metabite

The panel will explore how to eff ectively scale lifestyle and performance medicine initiatives within military settings. Topics include leveraging technology such as wearable devices, personalized training programs, and telemedicine to enhance health outcomes. Panelists will also discuss the importance of integrating these approaches into military culture and training programs to ensure sustainability and eff ectiveness and how to scale them to civilian use cases and make them viable.

5:00 PM Closing Remarks and Future Steps

• Speaker: Ilkka Laaksi, LtCol, MC, MD, PhD, Head of the Centre For Military Medicine, FDF

5:10 PM Summit ends at Riihimäki