Jaro I. KarppinenJaro Karppinen is Professor of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at the Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oulu, in Northern Finland. He also works at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health as a specialist of Physical and Rehabiliation Medicine. He has an academic degree in Biochemistry and has been an investigator in many clinical studies related to low back pain and sciatica. His current research interest has focused on environmental and genetic risk factors of degenerative spinal disorders with a special focus on the etiology and diagnostics of Modic changes. He is the Project Leader of the musculoskeletal subprojects of the Northern Finland Birth Cohorts and a Member of the Executive Group the Northern Finland Birth Cohorts. He is a member of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, International Association for the Study of Pain, European Spine Society, and AOSpine Research Network. Read More Read Less