Core Team Site Director

Dr. Risto-Pekka Happonen, DDS, PhD, is the HNRN Co-Director in Turku. He is Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Turku, and Head and Chief Physician in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Turku University Hospital.

Dr. Happonen graduated in 1972 from the University of Turku. He completed specialty training in Oral Surgery in 1978, specialty training in Oral Pathology in 1982, and received his Ph.D. in 1986. He has published over 150 original articles and 20 other scientific papers.  His research interests include oral tumorigenesis, biomaterials research, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the jaws and oral mucosa, the effects of oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures on speech production, and mathematical modeling of speech. In 2012 he was offered a Ph.D. honorary degree at the Nippon Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.