Associated Professor
Department of Physiology
Kuopio University
Kuopio, Finland

Pekka Juhani Pöntinen, a Finnish anesthesiology specialist and a pioneer of laser acupuncture, left a significant mark in medical research.

He graduated from the University of Turku in 1957, specialized in anesthesiology, and received his Ph.D. from Kuopio University in 1965. Pöntinen was an associate professor of anesthesiology at Kuopio University (since 1978) and Tampere University (since 1980).

He was also a consultant for the Department of Neurology at Tampere University Hospital (1976-1993) and the medical director of the Rehabilitation Center in Kankaanpää (1989-1992). His commitment to advancing medical education led to his membership in the European Council Subcommittee for Higher Education, Strasbourg, France (1990-1995).

Pöntinen was pivotal in numerous research projects on acupuncture, laser therapy, and pain management. He was an expert advisor for the WHO Committee on Standardization of Acupuncture Nomenclature (1990-1994).

His scholarly contributions extend to over 200 articles and several authoritative books. Pöntinen had several editorial positions in scientific journals. He collaborated with Geir Bjørklund on the Nordic Journal of Biological Medicine (Nordisk Tidsskrift for Biologisk Medisin), a precursor to the Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine.

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