Kai Kaarniranta#
| Membership Number: | 7523 |
| Membership type: | ORDINARY |
| Section: | BASIC AND CLINICAL TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCES |
| Elected: | 2026 |
| Main Country of Residence: | FINLAND |
| Homepage(s): | |
| ORCID: | 0000-0003-2600-8679 |
| Publication Link: |
Present and Previous Positions
- 1.1.2008 - present, Professor, Chief Physician, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
- 20.11.2006 - 31.12.2007, Specialist in Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
- 14.4.2003 - 19.11.2006, Residential Ophtalmologist, Department of Ophthalmology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio Finland
- 5.11.2001 - 13.4.2003, Residential Ophthalmologist, Department of Ophthalmology, North Karelia Central Hospital, Joensuu, Finland
- 1.9.2000 - 4.11.2001, MD, Juankoski Health Center, Juankoski, Finland
- 1.1.1994 - 31.8.2000, PhD graduate student, Finnish Academy Graduate School, Department of Anatomy, University of Kuopio, Finland
Fields of Scholarship
- Oxidative stress in retina
- Proteostasis in retinal pigment epithelial cells
- Aging processes in retinal cells
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
- Autophagy research from cell culture models to patient material
- Inflammation in AMD
Honours and Awards
- 2022 - 2024 Honour External Scientist, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
- 2021 Medal Universitatis Lodziensis Amico Prize, Lodz, Poland
- 2000 Member of Finnish Academy Science and Letters
- 2017 - 2019 Honour External Scientist, University of Lodz, Lodz Poland
- 2018 Acta Ophthalmologica Silver Medal, Oslo, Norway
- 2014 Acta Ophthalmologica Silver Medal, Stockholm, Sweden
- 2012 Best section paper EVER, Nice, France
- 2009 Elsemay Björn Young Scientist Award, Tampere, Finland
- 2007 European Society of Ophthalmology lecture, Tampere, Finland
- 2006 Kuopio University Scientist Award Kuopio, Finland
- 2003 Martti Hämäläinen Young Scientists, North-Savo Medicine Society, Kuopio, Finland



