| Societas Gerontologica Fennica (SGF) was founded in 1948 with the aim of promoting
scientific research in the field of gerontology. The first president of the Society was
professor Oswald Renkonen, and the first secretary professor Eeva Jalavisto who later
played a pivotal role in SGF, and in gerontological research and geriatrics in Finland.
She published numerous articles on the status and care of elderly in the community. She
was also one of the founders of the IAG. Honoring the remarkable achievements of Eeva
Jalavisto, SGF has arranged several symposia named after her and founded the Eeva
Jalavisto Prize for notable gerontological research in Finland. The aim of SGF is to promote research and cooperation in the scientific field of gerontotogy through:
The Society also had an impact on the origination of geriatrics in Finland by starting a geriatric outpatient clinic in Helsinki in 1952. The yearbook of SGF, called Geron, was published from 1949 to 1985. Thereafter, the Society's proceedings have been actively published in different formats, most lately also on the Internet since 1997 at www.gernet.fi/sgf (in Finnish). SGF has been active in the international cooperation, especially Nordic collaboration with the Nordic Gerontological Federation. Nordic Gerontological Congresses have been arranged in Finland in 1977, 1986 and 1996. SGF is represented in the International Association of Gerontology (IAG) and its European Region. In 1998, SGF arranged the congress of the IAG, European Region, Clinical Section. SGF is now also affiliated with EUGMS. Presently the Society has about 250 members (geriatricians, gerontologists in different fields, and geriatric nurses). The current president of SGF is Timo Strandberg, MD, PhD (timo.strandberg@hus.fi), past president Heikki Takkunen M.D, Ph.D. and secretary Otto Lindberg, MD, Ph.D (otto.lindberg@hus.fi). |