Juhani Hassi retired as Professor and Director of the Centre for Arctic Medicine, University of Oulu in 2006, Finland, and is currently at the Department of Public Health at the same university. He received his medical degree in 1969 from the University of Oulu and continued as a doctoral student from 1969-72. He was Director of the Oulu Regional Institute of Occupational Health (ORIOH) from 1973-1996 and Leader of the Cold Work Action Program, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health 1997-2000. He was appointed associate professor at the University of Oulu in 1981 and became Professor in Arctic Medicine in 2001.

He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Circumpolar Health.

He initiated in 1976 and coordinated the development of the Cold Research Center in Oulu, serving in the beginning director of its core unit, ORIOH. He moved to the University of Oulu to lead the Research Program and Graduate School for Circumpolar Health and Wellbeing.

He has served on many national and international scientific and professional committees and societies, including: Finnish representative (medicine) in the Scientific Committee of Antarctic Research since 1988; International Arctic Scientific Committee 1999-2000; International Union of Circumpolar Health 1996-2004; Nordic Society of Arctic Medicine since 1995; Advisory Group for Human Health Activities in International Polar Year since 2005. In 2003 he was invited as a cold expert for WHO concerning health impacts of global warming and as a cold injury expert for NATO in 2005.

His research interests over the years have ranged from brown adipose tissue (1969-1976); thermophysiology of cold exposure 1977-2001; to cold related injuries and diseases (since 1988; and assessment of health effects related on climate warming in circumpolar North (since 2003).

Five selected publications

• Leppäluoto J, Sikkila K, Meyer-Rochow VB, Hassi J (2003). Low melatonin secretion associates with albedo in circumpolar environments. J Pineal Res. 35(3):158-62.
   
• Kotaniemi JT, Hassi J, Kataja M, Jonsson E, Laitinen LA, Sovijarvi AR, Lundback B (2001). Does non-responder bias have a significant effect on the results in a postal questionnaire study? Eur J Epidemiol. 17(9):809-17.
   
• Hassi J, Gardner L, Hendricks S, Bell J (2000) Occupational injuries in the mining industry and their association with statewide cold ambient temperatures in the USA. Am J Ind Med 38(1):49-58.
   
• Hassi J, Sikkila K, Ruokonen A, Leppaluoto J (2001). The pituitary-thyroid axis in healthy men living under subarctic climatological conditions. J Endocrinol. A169(1):195-203.
   
• Leppäluoto J, Korhonen I, Hassi J (2001). Habituation of thermal sensations, skin temperatures, and norepinephrine in men exposed to cold air. J Appl Physiol. 90(4):1211-8.

Publications in Journals 2005

• Hassi J, Rytkönen M, Kotaniemi J, Rintamäki H (2005) Impacts of cold climate on human heat balance, illnesses, and injuries in circumpolar areas. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 64(5): 459-467.
   
• Mäkinen TM, Rintamäki H, Korpelainen JT, Kampman V, Pääkkönen T, Oksa J, Palinkas LA, Leppäluoto J, Hassi J (2005) Postural sway during single and repeated cold exposures.Aviat Space Environ Med;76:947-953.
   
• Leppäluoto J, Pääkkönen T, Korhonen I, Hassi J (2005) Pituitary and autonomic responses to cold exposures in man. Review. Acta Physiol Scand. 184, 255-264.
   
• Palinkas LA, Mäkinen TM, Pääkkönen T, Rintamäki H, Leppäluoto J, Hassi J (2005) Influence of seasonally-adjusted exposure to cold and darkness on cognitive performance in circumpolar residents. Scand J Psychol 46:239-246.

Publications in Books 2005

• Lead authors Berner J, Furgal C, contributing authors Bjerregaard P, Bradley M, Curtis T, De Fabo E, Hassi J, Keatinge W, Kvernmo S, Näyha S, Rintamäki H, Warren J. Chapter 15 Human Health. Acia Climate Impact Assessment – Scientific Report, 864-902. ISBN-10:0521865093 / ISBN/13:9780521865098, November 2005, Cambridge University Press.
   
• Hassi J (2005) Cold extremes and Impacts on health. Extreme Weather Events and Public Health Responses, 59-67. Editors Kirch W, Menne B, Bertollini R. World Health Organization. Printed in European Union. ISBN 3-540-24417-4 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York.
   
• Mäkinen TM, Pääkkönen T, Rintamäki H, Palinkas LA, Leppäluoto J, Hassi J (2005) Manual performance in urban circumpolar subjects exposed to cold in the winter and summer. In: Tochihara Y & Ohnaka T (eds.) Environmental ergonomics. The Ergonomics of Human Comfort, Health and Performance in the Thermal environment. Elsevier Ergonomics Book Series, Vol. 3. pp. 193-198.
   
• Hassi J, Mäkinen TM, Rintamäki H. (2005) Prediction and prevention of frostbites. In: Prevention of Cold Injuries (pp. KN1-1 – KN1-10). Meeting Proceedings RTO-MP-HFM-126, Keynote 1. Neuilly-sur-Seine, France: RTO. Available from: http://www.rto.nato.int/abstracts.asp
  Printti netistä on, ei vielä painettu. Tuleeko mukaan? Kategoria?
   
• Ruuhela R, Venäläinen A, Pirinen P, Havulinna A, Karvonen M, Rytkönen M, Hassi J. The synoptic weather situation on days of high incidence of acute myocardial infarction. 17th International Congress of Biometeorology ICB 2005, Garmisch-Partenkirchen,
  Gemany, Deutscher Wetterdienst, Annalen der Meteorologie 41 vol. 1: 355-357

email: juhani.hassi@oulu.fi