Markku Sainio, Who Ignited Enthusiasm, Dies at 67

Docent Markku Sainio, a distinguished neurologist and former professional squash player, passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack on March 13, 2026, during a cycling excursion in Lapland. He was 67 years old. Sainio's life was marked by a dual passion for sports and medicine. He became Finland's first full-time professional squash player, achieving two national championships and a world ranking of 34. His athletic career eventually led him to meet his future wife, Irene, on a trip. Transitioning to medicine, Sainio qualified as a neurologist in 1997 and earned his doctorate in 2000. He was appointed docent in neurology in 2006. Throughout his career, he balanced clinical patient care, research, education, and the popularization of scientific knowledge. He held key positions at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and later as chief physician at the Rehabilitation Unit for Prolonged Symptoms. Sainio played a pivotal role in changing treatment recommendations for indoor air-related symptoms in the 2010s. His dedicated research into environmental hypersensitivities led to a crucial understanding of the brain's functional mechanisms in symptom development and persistence. He championed a rehabilitative approach, adopting innovative methods like the Bergen treatment model to help patients overcome avoidance behaviors. Colleagues and friends remember Markku Sainio as a present and attentive listener, an open-minded conversationalist with a good sense of humor, and someone who consistently saw the positive side of things. His son and friends noted that he lived life to the fullest and ignited a "flame of enthusiasm" in those around him, a legacy that will endure.

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He ignited a flame of enthusiasm in people, which will live on with us.