(2006-11-15)

He was born 1939, Lahti, Finland. He studied at the University of Helsinki and the University of Turku, Finland, where he received his Master of Sciences (Biochemistry) in 1962, Licentiate of Medicine (MD) in 1964, Doctor of Medical Sciences (DMS) in 1966, and passed his dissertation in biochemistry for his Ph.D. in 1968. He has also studied genetics.
He has been a specialist in sports medicine since 1986.

He served as the Research Assistant of Professor K. Hartiala, 1962B4; Assistant of Physiology, 1964B5; Laborator of
Physiology, 1966B7; Docent of Physiology, 1967-2004, and Associate Professor of Biochemistry, 1969B71, at the University of Turku; Acting Professor in the Planning Office, University of Kuopio 1971B2; and 1972-2004 as Professor of Physiology and Chairman of the Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio. Now he is professor emeritus at the same Department.

Dr. Hänninen served as Vice-President 1972B9; and as President, University of Kuopio, 1981B4.

Furthermore, he has served as Visiting Professor of Physiology at Shanghai Medical University, China, 1991B2, and at Sun Yat Sen Medical University, Guangzhou, China, 1998B9.

He has been a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, from 1994.

He was the President of Societas Physiologica Finlandiae, 1990B9 and member of the councillors of European Federation of Physiological Sciences and Board members of the Scandinavian Physiological Society.  He was the Secretary General, of XXXI International Congress ofPhysiological Sciences, 9. - 15.7.1989, Helsinki

Dr. Hänninen is one of founders and Vice-President, President Elect, President (1998-2002) and Past President (up to 2006) of the International Society for Pathophysiology (ISP). He was one of the organizer of the Constituent Congress of ISP in 1991 in Moscow and the President of the third International Congress of ISP in Lahti, Finland 1998.

Dr. Hänninen has been a Member of the Executive Committee of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) 1994-2003 and its  Treasurer 1997-2003.

He is an honorary member of a number of learned societies in Finland, Czech Republic, Hungary,
and Nordic Countries.

Dr. Hänninen's special interests in research are: Biotransformation and adaptation to chemical loading, biomonitoring
of toxicants, and comparative biochemical toxicology. Muscle metabolism and function as well as Ergonomics.

He has contributed more than 300 papers in refereed journals and eighty in proceedings, and written fifty-nine reviews, and thirty two books or book chapters.
He serves on the editorial board of four international journals and is at present the  Editor-in Chief of  international journal
Pathophysiology.

Of his post-graduate students (mostly in biotransformation and in muscle metabolism and physiology), twenty serve or have served as professors in Australia, China, Finland, Greece, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.