Isaac O. Afara
Associate Professor
Department of Technical Physics, Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology
[email protected] | +358 50 350 1905
I am an Associate Professor with more than a decade of experience in applied and translational spectroscopy. My research interests range from applied spectroscopy, through multivariate and machine learning analysis in biospectroscopy, to computational biophotonics, all with the aim of bench-to-bedside translational of spectroscopy-based innovation for state-of-the-art optical characterization and diagnosis of biological tissue pathologies.
I currently lead the Biomedical Spectroscopy Lab (BSL, est. 2018), a multi-disciplinary team of Physicists and Engineers focused on applied spectroscopy and computational biophotonics research.
Research groups
Publications
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Ultrasmall Surface-Charge-Modified Tantalum Oxide Nanoparticles for the Assessment of Articular Cartilage Using Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography
Jäntti, Jiri; Tuppurainen, Juuso; Joenathan, Anisha; Leskinen, Henri P P; Cagnoni, Annunzia M; Mertano, Heta; Poimala, Milka; Nippolainen, Ervin; Afara, Isaac O; Honkanen, Juuso T J; Matikka, Hanna; Töyräs, Juha; Snyder, Brian D; Stok, Kathryn S; Nelson, Brad B; Grinstaff, Mark W; Mäkelä, Janne T A, 2026, Acs nano, 20, 3, 2717-2729. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Assessment of Joint Integrity via Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Estimation of Biomarkers in Synovial Fluid: A Potential Tool for Early Detection of Osteoarthritis
Shahini, Fatemeh; Oikari, Sanna; Sadeesh, Nithin; Nippolainen, Ervin; Brommer, Harold; Töyräs, Juha; Nieminen, Petteri; Afara, Isaac O., 2025, Huang, Zhiwei; Lilge, Lothar D, Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE. A4 Conference proceedings -
Calcified Cartilage Mineral Maturity Decreases with Early Osteoarthritis in the Human Knee Joint
Hiltunen, Rasmus K; Turunen, Mikael J; Ristaniemi, Aapo; Nippolainen, Ervin; Afara, Isaac O; Mäkelä, Janne TA; Mononen, Mika E; Tanska, Petri; Honkanen, Juuso TJ, 2025, Transactions of the annual meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society. Abstract -
Exploring the Relationship Between Ligament Microstructure and Mechanics in OA-Affected Human Knees
Gheisari, A; Kositsky, A; Karjalainen, V-P; Gupta, S Das; Virtanen, V; Nippolainen, E. Kröger, H; Töyräs, J; Saarakkala, S; Afara, IO; Korhonen, RK; Finnilä, MAJ, 2025, Osteoarthritis imaging. Abstract -
Monte Carlo Simulations of Light-Skin Interactions: Implications for Therapeutic and Oncological Applications
Qaryan, Mahdi; Kafian-Attari, Iman; Afara, Isaac O, 2025, Photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy, 56, 105251. A2 Review article, Literature review, Systematic review -
Non-destructive assessment of tissue engineered cartilage maturity using visible and near infrared spectroscopy combined with machine learning
Elkadi, Omar Anwar; Abinzano, Florencia; Nippolainen, Ervin; González, Ona Bach; Töyräs, Juha; Levato, Riccardo; Malda, Jos; Afara, Isaac O, 2025, Biosensors and bioelectronics, 286, 117587. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Non-destructive monitoring of cartilage tissue engineering via near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic assessment of culture medium
Sadeesh, Nithin; Karunarathna, Harini; Jalali, Abolfazl; Oikari, Sanna; Eskelinen, Antti; Gebraad, Arjen; Nippolainen, Ervin; Miettinen, Susanna; Afara, Isaac O., 2025, Biosensors and bioelectronics, 288, 117809. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Orientation-Independent T2 Mapping Enhances MRI-Based Cartilage Characterization
Leskinen, Henri P P; Tuppurainen, Juuso; Jäntti, Jiri; Mäkelä, Janne T A; Nippolainen, Ervin; Afara, Isaac O; Töyräs, Juha; Nykänen, Olli; Nissi, Mikko J, 2025, Annals of biomedical engineering, 53, 9, 2120-2130. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Relationships between human patellar tendon and tibial cartilage viscoelastic properties in osteoarthritic knees: an exploratory investigation
Kositsky, Adam; Linus, Awuniji; Stenroth, Lauri; Nippolainen, Ervin; Kröger, Heikki; Töyräs, Juha; Mäkelä, Janne TA; Liukkonen, Mimmi K; Tanska, Petri; Afara, Isaac O; Mononen, Mika E; Korhonen, Rami K, 2025, Journal of biomechanics, 189, 112772. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
The Relationship Between the Optical Properties of Articular Cartilage and the Biomechanical Parameters of the Tissue
Kafian‐Attari, Iman; Ebrahimi, Mohammad; Nippolainen, Ervin; Mirhashemi, Arash; Paakkari, Petri; Bergmann, Florian; Foschum, Florian; Kienle, Alwin; Töyräs, Juha; Afara, Isaac, 2025, Journal of biophotonics, 18, 4, e202400460. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research

