17.04.2009 Risto Myllylä Elected as a SPIE Fellow

Professor Risto Myllylä, Optoelectronics and measurement techniques laboratory, has been nominated SPIE fellow for achievements in laser pulse range finding and optical coherence tomography.

SPIE will honor 59 new Fellows of the Society this year. Fellows are members of distinction who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in the multidisciplinary fields of optics, photonics, and imaging. They are honored for their technical achievement, for their service to the general optics community, and to SPIE in particular. More than 600 SPIE members have become Fellows since the Society’s inception in 1955.

“The annual recognition of Fellows provides an opportunity for us to acknowledge outstanding members for their service to the general optics community,” says María Yzuel, SPIE President.

Myllylä’s distinguished contributions focus on developing laser measurements for industrial and biomedical applications. This includes breakthroughs in laser Doppler, optical coherence tomography, photo acoustic, optical fiber sensors, optical shooting simulation systems, wireless measurement, printed electronics, and biomedical measurements.

As head of the Optoelectronics and Measurements Laboratory, which he founded, his research is directed toward the development of applications of short time interval measurement technology (photon migration and photon time of flight measurements). Myllylä has founded or co-founded four companies based on his innovations: Noptel Oy, Prometrics Ltd, Optimic Oy, and Oupec Ltd.

He has 19 patents, three books and four book chapters in photonics and optoelectronics to his name. Myllylä has received many honors including multiple medals of merit, and Decoration (SVR R1) of the Order of the White Rose of Finland, awarded by the president of Finland.

He is the founding member of the Finish Optical Society and has served as its vice president and president. He is also a member of IEEE, the Optical Society of America, and the European Optical Society, where he was a member of the board and of the advisory committee. With SPIE, Myllylä was chair of the SPIE Russia Chapter conference in 2007 and member of the program committee for several conferences; he also served on the SPIE President’s Advisory Committee on Europe from 2004 to 2006.

SPIE is the international optics and photonics society, founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. Serving more than 188,000 constituents from 138 countries, the Society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange, continuing education, publications, patent precedent, and career and professional growth. SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately 25 major technical forums, exhibitions, and education programs in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. In 2008, the Society provided $1.9 million for scholarships, grants, and other activities supporting research and education around the world. For more information, visit SPIE.org.