Olavi Pärssinen

  • MD, University of Helsinki Finland 1971
  • Specialist in ophthalmology, University of Tampere Finland 1977.
  • PhD, University of Tampere Finland, 1986, thesis: “The wearing of spectacles and occurrence of myopia”
  • 45 years of myopia research
  • Adjunct professor, University of Turku Finland, 1994
  • Chief doctor, Ophthalmic department Hospital Kristiinankaupunki, Finland 1977-1979
  • Ophthalmologist, Central hospital of Central Finland, Jyväskylä, Finland 1979-2010
  • Chief ophthalmologist 1994-2010
  • Researcher and senior researcher, Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland from 1980 and continuing.
  • Private practice and partner in companies doing different kind of ophthalmic surgery and refractive surgery, Jyväskylä Finland 1988-2010
  • Main topic of research has been myopia, beginning 1980. Other main topics have focused on genetics in refraction and myopia, cataract surgery, and ophthalmological epidemiology.
  • The follow-up study which began in 1982 among 9 to 12-year-old myopic children is continuing
  • More than a hundred scientific publications (mostly dealing topics related to myopia)

Summary on participation in various associations related to ophthalmology:

  • board member and chairman The Finnish Society of Contact Lenses, 1986-1994
  • Finnish representative in ECLSO (European Contact Lens Society for Ophthalmologists), 1993-1996
  • Bord member and chairman in Finnish Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (FSCRS), 2002-2006
  • Vice chairman of the Finnish Society of Ophthalmologists, 1997-1999
  • Vice chairman in the Association of Medical Contact Lens and Optics (Finnish Ophthalmogists).
  • 1994-1996 – invited participants in the joint meeting with WHO and Brian Holden Vision institute in Sidney in 2015.
  • The WHO report: “The Impact of Myopia and High Myopia” editorial board member of Acta Ophthalmologica reviewer in several ophthalmological journals.
  • member of the CREAM consortium (genetic studies of myopia) since 2012
  • member of CRAM kids (international consortium to study childhood myopia)
  • member of MRC consortium (project which aims, using artificial intelligence/machine learning models, to predict progression of myopia)
    advisory Board member, Santen Emea
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