The FINGERS Brain Health Institute (FBHI) was founded in 2019 by Professors Miia Kivipelto and Maris Hartmanis, supported by a group of donors and philanthropists with strong engagement in brain health.

FBHI drives, coordinates, and supports the continued clinical research that builds further on the FINGER study (Ngandu, Kivipelto, et al., Lancet 2015). FINGER was the first randomized controlled study in the world to demonstrate that lifestyle factors have significant relevance in the prevention of cognitive decline.  

As a Global Scientific Coordinating Center for the World-Wide FINGERS Network, FBHI connects and supports research teams conducting FINGER-based trials around the world, adapting and testing the model in different cultural, demographic, and socio-economic settings. The network was established in 2017 and has grown to include scientific teams in over 70 countries (July 2025).  

Driving research and implementation

FBHI plans, runs, and supports research projects in collaboration with universities, institutes, healthcare providers, and municipalities.

We also drive dissemination and implementation efforts to help ensure that scientific findings are rapidly coming into use in clinical and municipal settings. This work is currently primarily focused on the Nordic region, with the long-term objective to develop and expand these activities also to other countries. In Sweden, we coordinate the Swedish FINGER network, which has representation from nearly 120 municipalities (July 2025) and many other organizations interested in applying a FINGER-inspired approach in their activities.

Close collaborations 

The FBHI team includes full-time core staff as well as associated researchers from several European institutes. Both operationally and geographically, we are particularly closely connected with Karolinska Institutet and the Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Sweden. 

FBHI is a non-profit organization. Our work and the research we support are funded by grants, donations, and partnerships.