Kari Kustaa Alitalo (born 21 May 1952 in Kuopio is a Finnish MD and a medical researcher. He is a foreign associated member of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. He became famous for his discoveries of several receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and the first growth factor capable of inducing lymphangiogenesis: vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C). In the years 1996–2007 he was Europe's second most cited author in the field of cell biology. Alitalo is currently serving as an Academy Professor for the Academy of Finland and Director of Wihuri Research Institute.