We are delighted to share that Dr.Teija Lund has received the Best Podium Presentation Award at the EUROSPINE 2025 Annual Meeting, held on 22–24 October at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark.
EUROSPINE is Europe’s leading congress for spine surgery and spinal care. This year, nearly 900 abstracts were submitted, of which 81 were selected for topic sessions and seven for the “Best of Show” session — and among them, Teija’s presentation stood out. The final award was based on both the Program Committee’s scientific review of the submitted manuscripts and a live audience vote following the presentations.
Her talk, titled “Longitudinal progression of disc degeneration over 23 years from adolescence to adulthood,” presented unique long-term follow-up data spanning more than two decades — offering rare insights into how disc degeneration develops over time.
Interview with Dr. Teija Lund
Q: Congratulations, Teija! How did it feel to receive the Best Podium Presentation Award at EUROSPINE?
It was a great honour. EUROSPINE is such a respected meeting in our field, so having our work recognized there felt truly special — especially knowing how many high-quality studies were presented.
Q: Could you briefly describe what your study was about?
Our study followed the same cohort of healthy individuals for more than 20 years — from adolescence into adulthood — using MRI to observe how lumbar disc degeneration progresses over time. Long-term imaging studies like this are extremely rare, so we’re excited about what these results can tell us about the natural history of disc degeneration.
Q: What was it like presenting your work at such a large international congress?
It was inspiring! The audience was engaged, and the discussions after all the presentations were excellent. It’s always rewarding when people show genuine interest in your research and ask thoughtful questions – sometimes those questions even spark new insights into your own data.
Q: EUROSPINE’s “Best of Show” session is highly competitive. What do you think made your presentation stand out?
I think it was the uniqueness of the dataset — a 23-year follow-up is something we rarely see in spine research. And the topic itself resonates with many clinicians, since disc degeneration is something we all encounter daily in practice.
Q: What drives you as a researcher?
Curiosity, definitely. I’m fascinated by the stories data can tell —especially when we have the privilege to follow the same individuals for decades. And, of course, being surrounded by supportive colleagues and mentors helps a lot.
Q: What’s next for you and the team?
We’re now conducting the next phase of analyses to explore in detail how disc degeneration progresses from adolescence to adulthood – whether there are distinct pathways or individual variations. There’s still much more to learn from this remarkable cohort.
A well-earned recognition
FICEBO warmly congratulates Teija and her collaborators — Anni Aavikko, Leena Ristolainen, Hannu Kautiainen, Martina Lohman, and Dietrich Schlenzka — on this outstanding achievement.
Her success at EUROSPINE highlights both the strength and international visibility of Finnish spine research — and the dedication it takes to produce truly long-term, high-quality data.
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