This is the 504th most frequent Finnish word.
aiheuttaa
To cause.
In this sentence, 'aiheuttaa' conveys initiating an undesired situation (disturbance) in the context of the meeting.
Älä aiheuta turhaa häiriötä kokouksen aikana.
Do not cause unnecessary disturbance during the meeting.
Here, 'aiheuttaa' refers to an action (causing discussion) as a consequence of their research.
Heidän tutkimuksensa aiheutti paljon keskustelua tiedeyhteisössä.
Their research caused a lot of discussion in the scientific community.
This usage of 'aiheuttaa' means 'to cause' and introduces the direct effect of an event or action.